My Safest Place
by Stessa
Summary: 18-year-old Emma Swan, on the run from the law and down to her last coin, makes a desperate wish to be sent somewhere safe. She ends up in the Enchanted Forest in front of 16-year-old Regina's horse and suddenly everything she thought she knew is turned upside-down. [Canon divergence from the point where Emma was supposed to go to jail. Swanqueen all the way.]
1. Chapter One

A/N: This fic is for sunofthemoon. Thank you for cheering me on, helping me make sense of my thoughts, letting me pick your brain, and for being awesome.

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 **MY SAFEST PLACE**

 **CHAPTER ONE**

The cold was getting to her.

It was just after 1 p.m. on a Tuesday, and the snow was falling around the city in big individual flakes as 18-year-old Emma Swan made her way towards the corner store from the motel she was currently squatting in. She brushed pass endless people on the busy street as she huddled her thin jacket closer around herself. There was a hole in her ratty boot, cold slush seeping through to her socks, and Emma lifted her hands to blow on them. Her fingers were peeking through; they were worn thin with age, and as Emma blew, her glasses fogged slightly and she blinked to see.

She ducked into the shop; the neon lights bright, and the heat from the store inviting her inside, a temporary reprieve from the cold. She glanced briefly around, scanning the place for customers. There were only two; a customer by the counter and someone browsing magazines. Emma turned down the first aisle, grabbing a bag of chips as she eyed the clerk, who was paying her no mind at all. She stuffed it into her jacket and made her way towards the foiled sandwiches as the door jingled behind her.

Emma could see the aisle with the product she _actually_ needed; white and pink packages neatly stacked and stored, promising happiness and joy. She dashed down another aisle, snatching a sandwich for the insatiable hunger in her stomach, and stuffing it next to the bag of chips on her stomach. Her last dollars were going to be spent actually _paying_ for the item she was in need of, but she kind of had to eat, too.

She stalled by the magazines, the former customer now at the counter, and Emma glanced up to see if she was now almost alone. Another customer was lingering by the sandwiches where Emma had just been; red hair and tense shoulders, and Emma caught her eyes above the shelves for a moment. The woman quickly averted her gaze, and Emma ducked too, heading towards the aisle with hygiene products.

Staring at the different brands and packages, Emma felt tears of frustration well up in her eyes, because she had _no idea_ what she was supposed to be looking for, how she was supposed to _choose_ which one to buy. Her fingers trailed the packages, and she glanced up, seeing the clerk at the counter watching her curiously. She paused; the other customers had left the small shop, and so Emma snatched a random package that read _99% accuracy. Get your answer within five minutes!_ That had to do.

Emma trailed to the counter, aware of the fact that her jacket was bulging in awkward places; she trailed a hand across herself, hugging her upper body and placed the package on the counter with a sheepish smile as she refused to meet the clerk's eyes.

"Congratulations," he said, as he scanned the item and the price appeared, "...or not," he added with a frown, when he saw Emma's tense shoulders. "That'll be $9,99."

With her heart in her throat, Emma handed her last bill over, reluctant to let go of the material. She didn't have the option not to, though, she – she _had_ to know. She _had_ to be sure. "Thank you," she breathed as she was handed over the plastic bag and a penny. Her _last_ penny, and then what?

"Have a good day," the clerk said, and Emma turned and rushed out of the store, feeling his judgmental eyes on her neck, as she stuffed the coin into the pocket of her jeans and held on tightly to her bag.

She bumped shoulders with a woman by the entrance, murmured a soft apology, and tucked the bag of chips out of her jacket. The sandwich joined her purchase in the plastic bag, and Emma opened the bag of chips and took out a handful with cold fingers, as she made her way back to the motel. The street was busy; people going to and fro, and Emma zigzagged around them, eager to get back into the warmth of the room. She munched on salted chips and ducked into an alley, making a shortcut, away from the busier streets. It was seriously _so fucking cold_ , and Emma blew on her fingers once more as she sped up her walk.

The plastic bag in her left hand crinkled, reminding her why she had dared venture outside to brave the cold in the first place. That, and the sandwich and bag of chips she'd nicked from the store, of course. The chips were already calming her unsettled stomach, thus calming her.

She knew it wasn't a particular good idea to go snatching things at the moment, but no one wanted to hire an 18-year-old without a high school diploma, and she'd had to leave all her things behind back in November when she fled Oregon. Her stomach had been begging for food, and Emma pressed a hand to it as she munched on another handful of chips, wondering if she was soon going to have another thing entirely to worry about; another problem than just getting shelter and food. She was no longer able to ignore the fact that she hadn't had her period for several months, and the pregnancy test in the bag was only to confirm what she already, kind of, knew.

At least she thought she knew, but she had to be sure.

Emma crossed the road and took a short-cut down another alley before she finally came to the fire escape she'd used to get out of the room she was currently occupying. She'd left a piece of crumbled up newspaper in the window frame, hoping that she'd still be able to get in once she returned, and she pulled herself up by her arms and managed to get safely onto the fire escape. She crawled the two stories, happy to see that the room was still accessible to her; snapping the window open, she slid into the tiny room and closed it safely behind her, leaving out the cold.

Shedding her beanie, gloves and jacket, Emma took off the foil on her sandwich and made her way to the small, dingy bathroom as she took a bite. She didn't have the patience to wait, so she placed the sandwich on the counter and sat on the toilet as she ripped the stick out of its package. Aiming below the clit – just as she'd always heard you were supposed to do – she did her business. She wiped, placed the stick on the counter and washed her hands, before picking up her sandwich again. _Five minutes,_ she thought, _I can wait five minutes._ She glanced down at the watch on her wrist – the fanciest thing she owned – and mentally took the time.

Emma fell onto the ratty, old bed with a sigh as she ate her sandwich, once more cradling her slightly protruding belly with her free hand. She was going to know for sure in five minutes, but that didn't change the fact that if- Emma bit her lip in desperation, not wanting to finish the thought. What the fuck was she going to do?

Scarfing down the last of the sandwich, Emma glanced down at the watch on her wrist again – how had it only been one minute? – and couldn't help but think of Neal, who'd given it to her. A single part of his big theft, the reason she was even in this mess to begin with. She was never going to know for sure if he'd set her up on purpose, and it didn't really matter. Even if he hadn't, the dream of the future they'd shared together was long gone, and Emma was pretty sure that she was never going to find her Tallahassee.

"Stupid Neal," she grumbled as she stared back down at the watch. It had all seemed so easy when he'd laid the plan out for her. He couldn't fetch the watches, because there was a warrant out for his arrest, so of course she could do it. A piece of cake, and they'd had their future right in front of them. They could take the Bug and go wherever. But as soon as Emma had stood by those luggage rooms at the station, she'd felt that something wasn't quite as it was supposed to be.

There was a knock on the door, and Emma froze, staring at it. _No one_ was supposed to know that she was here; this room was supposed to be empty, so it couldn't be the staff, they wouldn't _know_. She bit her lip. Her flight instinct was overwhelming her, and the need to jump back out of that window was big, but she wouldn't find a room like this again, so easily accessible, and she'd once more be back on the street, and she _just_ got this, so how could she-

There was another knock on the door. And then, "Uh? Excuse me? I heard you move around earlier, and I was wondering if you also didn't have water in your room, or if it's just me?"

Emma sighed, shoulders sagging slightly with relief as she crossed the floor and pulled the door open. A redheaded woman stood on the other side, fist raised to knock once more. "Hi?" Emma said, puffing out her cheeks and awkwardly pushing back her glasses.

The woman smiled. "Hi, I have the room next to yours, and I'm out of water. Do you have water?"

With a furrowed brow, Emma stepped towards the small sink in the kitchenette, flipping on the tap to test it out. Water poured out of it immediately, and she turned around to find the woman looking around the room curiously. "Water's good here. Must just be your room."

"How odd," the woman said and stuck out her hand, "I'm Cleo by the way, I'll be staying next door for a bit."

"Emma," Emma curtly said, but she didn't stick her own hand out to meet Cleo's. She regarded the woman instead, eyes trailing over her black leather jacket, her blue jeans and her laced-up boots. Emma couldn't really explain why, but a nervousness was suddenly creeping up her spine. Had she seen this woman before? "You better go talk to the reception then," she offered next, wanting desperately to get this woman out of her not exactly legally rented motel room.

Cleo looked around the room, her jaw suddenly tense. She glanced back at Emma. "You're Emma Swan, right?"

Emma squeaked, " _What_?"

"There's a warrant out for your arrest, and I'm here to bring you back to the Oregon Police," Cleo explained as she stepped closer, pulling out a pair of handcuffs from her jacket. She almost looked apologetic, but Emma did not have the time to contemplate that.

Instead, she pushed a chair into Cleo's path and stormed towards the bathroom, smacking the door close behind her and flicking the lock. "Fuck off!" she yelled through the door, watching as the handle was jiggling up and down, no doubt under attack by Cleo who wanted nothing more than to get inside.

Emma bit her lip, sagging slightly as she took a moment to breathe on the closed lid of the toilet. She _could_ go with her. She could go willingly, spend some time in jail and come out on the other side. But if she thought life was hard now, what wasn't it going to be like as a convicted felon? She'd _never_ be able to get a job if she spent time in prison, this she was sure of.

"Emma, c'mon, don't make this harder on yourself," Cleo warned her through the door. There was already some kind of tool working at the crack in the old door, and Emma had to make a decision.

"Idiot," she hissed beneath her breath as she turned on the tap, water blasting everywhere. She crawled onto the toilet and quickly – silent with skill – worked the old window open. It was big enough to fit her, and she'd land right outside on the fire escape. Hauling herself through the small square as she pressed a foot to the top of the toilet and twisted to get out with her feet first, Emma cast a glance down at the stick on the sink.

As she fell onto the fire escape with a loud clash and took off running, the word _pregnant_ flashed across her eyes along with the two, positive, blue lines.

—

Emma gnawed at her lip as she mingled with all of the people in front of the New York Public Library. She was freezing her ass off – even though her jacket wasn't much, she was still sorry she left it back at the motel – and she shuddered in her thin sweater, walking around in circles between the fountain and the big lions by the entrance.

It was always better to hide in plain sight, which was why she was here, at one of the busiest places she'd been able to think of as she took off from Cleo. She was pretty sure that the other woman was right on her trail, because she'd been skilled enough to find her at the motel after the store, so Emma glanced carefully around and tried not to look too out of place between the field trips, students, and busy New Yorkers making their way across the square. Kids were running amok, playing in the fallen snow, and Emma blew on her hands and made her way towards the fountain. She needed to sit for a second – just a little while – as she figured out where to go next.

Perhaps she should try another city? But New York had more possibilities, and it was a bigger place to stay in the shadows, and she'd quite liked it here until now, had made it so far. But where could she go? She was pretty sure that she'd be found out if she went to one of the many shelters in the city, and she was legally an adult, she couldn't just … wander around forever.

 _Especially not now,_ Emma thought as she placed a hand on her tummy again. She had a baby growing inside of her, and if her quick math was correct, she should be between two or three months along. She hadn't been with anyone since Neal, and their relationship ended in December. What was she going to do? How could she – Emma Swan – take care of a baby when her life was such an entire mess?

This life wasn't fit for a baby – heck, it wasn't even really fit for her. She couldn't in good conscience bring a child into the world like this, not with a life on the run, or a life with a young mother who had no means of providing anything for them.

Frustrated tears welled up in her eyes, and Emma bent her head, shielding herself from questioning looks as she stared down at the greyish snow on the ground, stomped flat and dirty by thousands of feet throughout the day. It was getting darker already, and she really had to figure out somewhere to sleep for the night, but the tears were just trailing down her cheeks, wetting her glasses and making her skin even colder.

Emma thought of her own childhood; a childhood shuffled from one foster family to another, from one group home to the next, never knowing love, never knowing care, and she didn't _want_ that for her baby. She didn't want the baby to grow up knowing that she didn't want it, because damn – if she didn't want it. It was her _baby,_ her _kid._ Someone who'd love her, even if she was a fuck-up whose own parents didn't even want her. She'd do right by the kid, at least that's what she wanted.

But how was she going to? She needed somewhere to settle down, somewhere where she could have her baby, make a life for herself, let the baby feel _loved_ and _cared for_ and _safe._ Safety. That was what she needed. For her baby, and for herself.

Wiping her tears with a finger underneath her glasses, Emma stared around, noticing the groups of children gathered around the fountain. They were all whispering together, pointing fingers, throwing in coins and making wishes, and Emma smiled to herself, imagining if her kid was ever going to be in a position where wishing on a fountain was even possible.

She dropped her hand to the pocket of her jeans, remembering the sole coin she had left after her trip to the shop earlier today. It was her _last_ coin – a coin that would probably be better spent on food or something, but it was also _just a coin_.

Emma retrieved the coin and stared down at it with a wistful smile on her face and desperation growing in her heart. All those kids making wishing made her want to believe in a better future, a future where anything was possible for her and the kid, where happiness and security were not just terms out of reach for people like them. She wanted to believe in a good future; that it could happen, even to people like her, like her kid. That she'd be able to find her Tallahassee with this kid; somewhere warm and comfortable, somewhere safe.

It was almost like the water shimmered slightly as she glanced at it, still shuddering in her old sweater. She palmed the coin, felt the weight in her hand and glanced once more at the group of middle schoolers, making wishes next to her. She bit her lip.

"Why the heck not," she whispered to herself, and she flicked the coin into the fountain with her thumb, one thought only on her mind: _I wish for us to be safe_.

It was like the water shimmered once more, growing darker as the coins shone through, and as Emma leaned forward to watch the coin fall to the bottom, a girl from the group of middle schoolers rushed off, bumping into her as she did. There wasn't even a splash or anything, but as the girl turned around to shoot off an _I'm sorry, Miss!_ there was no one by the fountain at all.

Emma Swan was somewhere else entirely.

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A/N: Thank you for reading this first chapter, and I hope you're onboard! I promise, I have planned quite a ride. I plan on updating every Friday, so please be on the look-out for that. My twitter is stessafanfic, and I post there regularly about writing, awesome fics and Swanqueen in general.


	2. Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO**

It felt like she was plummeting through the air, her body light as a feather. She weighted nothing, absolutely nothing, as she fell, leaving the sounds of busy New York behind her, above the surface of the water, growing more distant by the second, as Emma tumbled downwards.

The fall lasted only for a few seconds, a few seconds suspended through space, a few seconds only, so Emma didn't even have time to curse the clumsy child who'd knocked her over and into the fountain; she fell instead, landing with a thud on something soft and warm, the hustle and bustle far gone.

When Emma opened her eyes, she stared up into the heat of the sun; blue sky and tree tops blowing slightly in the gentle wind. "I must've really hit my head," Emma mumbled, and she closed her eyes. The sun warmed her cold face, making patterns dance before her eyelids, and if she was truly knocked out, she was going to enjoy this summer warmth for as long as she could. She didn't even feel wet, and she wondered if they hadn't gotten her out of the fountain yet, if she was simply just drowning on the bottom of it; no one noticing the poor, homeless girl who got knocked over.

If she was drowning, perhaps that was okay, too. At least she wouldn't have to get up and feel the cold, explain to countless strangers why she was wearing nothing but a sweater, had no wallet or ID. Emma smiled to herself; yeah, maybe she should just enjoy this warmth a few seconds more.

She froze. The ground thundered beneath her, and there were the distinct sounds of… something? _Something_ coming closer. Perhaps they were finally trying to pull her out of the water. It was about time, they'd been really slow about it. Emma squeezed one eye open and glanced up at the sun again, warmer and more comfortable than she had been in months. This was… this was good. It was really good.

"Halt, Rocinante, halt!"

Emma shot up, coming onto her butt at a moment's notice, as the firm command rang through the air. She glanced around, confused, and a striking, black horse came to a stop just feet from where her head had been. Her eyes widened as she looked at the hooves. _Oh shit._

Feet landed on the ground as well. "What were you thinking laying on the ground like that?" a concerned voice queried, and hands – warm, soft, careful hands – came to cradle Emma's face with curiosity, fingers moving across her body as if to check for injuries. "I almost didn't see you! We would have run straight over you!"

Glancing upwards, Emma finally managed to do _something_ , and that something was to get a look at the girl who was patting her down like nobody's business. Brown eyes, filled with a concern Emma had never experienced before, stared into her own, and the only thing she could think of doing, was- "Hi," she whispered.

The girl chuckled, light and carefree, as she tilted her head. "Hello."

Emma eyed her wearily, and the girl eyed her back, a not exactly uncomfortable silence erupting between them, with only the bustling sounds of nature among them. She was pretty sure she must have hit her head much harder than she thought – perhaps she was still knocked out, making all of this up in her mind? – because the girl in front of her was looking at her in a way that no one had ever done before. "I'm," Emma cleared her throat, not quite able to tear her eyes away from the brown ones watching her interestingly, "I'm sorry I was in your way," she lamely finished, hooking a thumb to the side to motion towards the horse.

"That is quite alright," the girl said, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Just be thankful Rocinante responds to my every word and gesture, otherwise he would have crushed you." She reached a hand to the side, fondly stroking the horse next to her; the horse who was now busy munching on the grass right next to them. "I'm Regina, by the way," she finished.

Emma pushed her glasses back, blinking owlishly at the other girl. She would be around her age, a few years younger probably, and she had long hair braided down her back, and was dressed impeccably in a light, yellow riding jacket with white pants and black boots. "Emma," Emma murmured in reply.

Regina's lips curled upwards, and Emma noticed a pink line above her upper lip, an indentation indicating a healing wound that would no doubt leave a scar. "So, Emma," Regina said and brushed off her knees as she stood up, "what brings you here?" She held out her hand for Emma, offering it to her.

Accepting the hand, Emma let herself be pulled off the ground, clumsily getting onto her feet, still very much confused about what the heck was going on. Maybe she even was dead, just floating around the bottom of the fountain, never to be seen again. She patted awkwardly at her dirty hair, tucking it behind her ear. "Uhm. I… fell?" She furrowed her brow, and dared cast another glance around her. There was nothing but blue skies and sunshine; the field they were on stretched for miles and miles of green grass and a cluster of trees just to their right. She was pretty sure that there were no places like this even near New York, and it had also been snowing just fifteen minutes ago. She glanced back at Regina. "Uhm. Where is here exactly?"

A look of confusion flashed across Regina's face. "The Enchanted Forest, of course!" she replied with enthusiasm, but she stepped closer once more, placing a warm hand to Emma's forehead. "Are you quite certain you are alright?"

Emma felt her breath hitch at the contact, and she took a step back. "Uh, yeah, I just-" she bit her lip, eyes meeting Regina's once more. "The Enchanted Forest? Really?" She stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "Is that… anywhere nearby New York by any chance?"

"New York?" Regina questioned, and the sun was beautiful against her skin. "I don't believe so. Is that where you're from?" She gave Emma a once-over and raised an eyebrow. "Is that normal attire for a girl in New York?"

Emma glanced down at herself. "Jeans, boots and a sweater? Yeah. That's pretty normal," she replied.

Regina hummed in response as she took the reins and nuzzled Rocinante's muzzle. "So where are you heading? This is kind of in the middle of nowhere. All these lands are just forest and meadows."

"I actually don't know where I'm headed," Emma honestly replied. This was definitely weird, and she was pretty sure she was either dead or in a coma, because it _couldn't_ be real. "I kind of just – uhm, fell? Fell down here."

"You fell?" Regina answered in disbelief, her brown eyes going slightly wide. Her breath hitched, "Like _magic_?"

Emma burst out laughing. "What-? _No._ Of course not!"

Regina's shoulders sagged with relief. "Good."

"There's no such thing as magic," Emma laughed, and she tilted her head back, enjoying the warmth. She was pretty sure she was going to have to take off her sweater soon.

A soft voice pulled her back in, "Don't say that," Regina whispered, head resting against Rocinante's neck. "Magic is definitely possible here."

Emma paused. "Not where I come from," she replied, and she reached over to pull the sweater from her body, soaking up the sun as it hit her pale arms. This entire situation was ridiculous, but she liked Regina already. There was something so warm and comforting about her, and so far, she was the only person Emma had even seen. It was sure as fuck very different from the clusters of people in New York. And the good thing was? As long as she was _here,_ she wasn't being chased by Cleo and taken back to the Oregon Police.

Regina furrowed her brow. "You're from the Land Without Magic?"

Staring at her, Emma just said, "I… guess?"

Still regarding her, Regina's fingers clenched around the reins on her horse, while she appeared to be contemplating something – hard. Emma just watched her. For the first time in many months, her body wasn't on high alert, and she wasn't preparing to run at a moment's notice. She honestly had no idea what the fuck was going on, but in her opinion, everything was better than what she had left behind. "So, are you… passing through?" Regina ended up questioning her, curiosity obviously getting the better of her.

Emma shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, that settles it then," Regina said as she jutted out her chin. "You're coming back with me. Mother and Daddy will know what to do." She stroked the horse's muzzle affectionately, pressing a kiss to its neck. "What do you say, Rocinante? Doesn't that sound like the best solution?"

Rocinante whinnied, and Emma wasn't about to object because she had no idea what else to do. "Awesome." She eyed the horse. "So, uh… can we like, maybe, walk?"

Regina laughed; chuckles escaping her throat like bubbles of sunshine, and Emma grinned goofily, not quite used to eliciting such a reaction from anyone. Regina threw her head back, laughing into the sunlight, escaped strands of dark hair blowing gently in the wind. She breathed, eyes shining with mirth, "Perhaps we could walk. It's not that far," she acquiesced, and she tugged slightly at the reins, starting towards the direction she had been riding before, towards the cluster of trees. "Do you not like horses?"

Emma immediately started walking, shuffling along awkwardly next to her and the big animal. Regina sounded so confused; like it was absolutely beyond her that anyone could not care for the animal that she so obviously loved. Emma said, "I'm not really a fan of anything that's so much bigger than me. Can't say I've ever been this close to one before."

"But how do you get around in this Land Without Magic if not on horses?" Regina questioned with interest as they walked briskly between the trees.

"We uh, we have something called cars," Emma said, at once confused about this place with so-called magic, yet without a modern invention like the car. Why would she be making up this strange place inside of her mind? She'd read about escapism, but she was pretty sure this wasn't that.

"Cars?" Regina questioned in wonder.

Emma nodded. "Yeah like… a carriage," Emma settled for, imagining that that had to be something Regina was familiar with at least. "But it doesn't need a horse to pull it. It runs on gas."

Regina tested the word out with disbelief, "Gas."

"Yeah!" Emma eagerly said, somehow wanting to keep Regina interested in this conversation for some reason. "And you steer it… with a wheel," Emma added and lamely did the motion with her hands in front of her, pretending to steer a car.

Regina did not look like she believed her, which Emma found very interesting, since Regina was the one insisting that magic was real. "It's just through these woods and you'll see my home in the distance. Daddy will probably be thrilled to have guests, but Mother, well," Regina paused, lips thin, "don't mind her. She can be difficult, but she'll know what to do with you."

Alarm bells immediately started going off in Emma's head. "Is she going to send me back home?" If this was her brain's way of trying to wake her up already, it had better fucking stop. She wasn't ready to deal with everything yet, she didn't _want_ to deal with it.

Regina sighed, "I am not quite sure. Travelling between realms is usually not possible without a bean. Did you have bean?"

"No," Emma said, tired. She could catch a glimpse of something through the line of trees in front of them.

"And you don't have magic," Regina wished to have confirmed.

"Nope," Emma said as they stepped through the last line of trees; a huge mansion in front of them. There was a paddock and stables, and what was very clearly servants milling about, and Emma stopped in her tracks, whistling lowly. It appeared that Regina's family was _loaded._ "Holy motherfucker," she whispered.

Regina stared at her, amusement crinkling in the corners of her brown eyes. "You're funny, Emma," she commented, honest and carefree, like it was so easy to just pay a compliment.

Emma chuckled, "Nah, I think you're just easy to impress."

"Come with me," Regina said, and they continued to walk towards the mansion in front of them.

—-

Regina's father looked very sweet, and Emma liked him already. He was watching her with careful eyes, grey hair around his ears and hands folded in his lap. Emma sat awkwardly on her chair, butt barely on the seat, ready to run off if necessary. Regina was next to her, lips thin and jaw working beneath her skin. Clearly, she was nervous.

It was kind of odd, really, this entire situation. Emma was in awe of everything around her; this entire place that she appeared to be making up inside of her mind. Except – it didn't feel like she was making _anything_ up, it felt real, completely and utterly real. Regina's presence next to her was realer than anything Emma had felt in a long time, yet her common sense told her that she had to be dreaming.

"Where did you girls run into each other again?" Regina's father – Henry as he had introduced himself, Mr. Mills – said, eyes crinkling fondly as he watched them.

Regina said, "Rocinante and I ran into her on the field behind the woods, Daddy. She says she fell here. From-" she paused, lowering her voice, "the Land Without Magic."

Henry was visibly surprised, his eyebrows rising to his forehead. "The Land Without Magic?" He glanced at Emma, seeking confirmation, and she nodded, "And what is your name?"

"Emma Swan, sir," Emma said. She liked him already. He was a kind and gentle man, she could tell, just from the way he acted towards Regina when she returned home from her ride; he'd swooped her up in a hug and kissed her hair.

"And how old are you?" Henry asked her, studying her carefully.

Emma bit her lip, not too eager to share too much of herself. "18, sir," she revealed.

"No more than two years older than our Regina, I see," a voice interrupted them from the grand entryway, and Emma's head snapped to the side; eyes landing on an older woman with pale skin and dark eyes, an intimidating aura surrounding her as she stood. Her back was straight, arms posed, and she stalked across the floor. Her long dress trailed after her, and she stopped behind Henry, a warning hand on his shoulder. "And how is it that you're dressed?"

Emma was immediately put off by her demeanour; everything about her screamed someone to be feared and obeyed, and Emma had never done well with people like that. All her instincts told her to fight them instead of fear them.

Regina tensed next to her; speaking up. "This is normal attire for a young girl where Emma is from."

Mrs. Mills' eyes flashed. "And where is that?"

Henry sighed. "The Land Without Magic."

Mrs. Mills regarded her carefully then, cold eyes running over Emma's features as she took her in, no doubt judging her dirty glasses, her sloppy hair and the state of her clothes. "Aha. And I don't suppose you had a magic bean at your disposal then?"

"No, ma'am," Emma dutifully replied.

"Then pray tell," Mrs. Mills continued, eyes narrowing, "how did you end up in our realm?"

Casting a glance towards the other girl, Regina subtly nudged her on, and Emma said, "I made a wish, ma'am. At the fountain in front of the New York City Public Library. And then I fell in the water."

"You... fell?" Mrs. Mills seemed unimpressed.

Emma jutted out her jaw, petulant. "Yes. I fell."

Mrs. Mills leaned forward, hands on the table; her face ended closer to Emma's, dark eyes watching her with silent disapproval, and her lips where thin. "And for what did you wish?" she wanted to know next.

Glancing briefly towards Regina, all Emma could see was herself, wishing on her last coin _to be somewhere safe –_ but for some reason she was very reluctant to let Mrs. Mills know this specific part of the tale. "I-" she paused, voice catching in her throat, "I can't remember," she finished, defiant.

"Hmm," Mrs. Mills said as she stood up again, arms crossed across her chest. "Well, you certainly cannot stay here, so you must be on your way then."

Regina tensed next to her, head turning to her father, and Emma straightened her back, ready to get out of this mansion. It gave her the creeps; or more accurately, Mrs. Mills gave her a _bad_ feeling, whereas both Regina and Henry seemed very nice. Emma wasn't about to ask for hand-outs, especially not from some rich lady like Mrs. Mills, no matter how sweet her daughter had been to her. "Sure thing, I'll just get my shit," Emma said and moved to pull her sweater over her head again.

Regina said, voice pleading, "Daddy! We can't just let her go. Emma has _no one_ here." Her brown eyes met Emma's, and there was an odd spark there, something desperate and soft, and Emma froze with the sweater in her hands.

Emma offered her a soft smile, "It's okay, Regina," she promised. Of all the people she had ended up running into, she was already feeling pretty glad that it had been Regina; Regina was at least being kind to her, and that was not something Emma had experienced a lot in her lifetime. "I can - I can go somewhere. I'll- I'll figure it out. It's not your responsibility."

"Very well," Mrs. Mills said. It looked like Henry was about to object, but a firm hand was placed on his shoulder, forcing him to keep his mouth shut. "Regina, can you show your guest out?"

Regina fumed, but did as she was told without any more verbal objections. She stalked towards the door, a hand pressed to the lower part of Emma's back, as she guided them into the hallway. "I'm sorry," she pleaded as they crossed the grand entryway, stopping by the doors to the courtyard in front of their home.

Emma shrugged, tugging the sweater above her head. "It's okay," she said, locking her eyes to Regina's; the brunette was shorter than her, even in riding boots, and Emma thought she looked cute in the high collared riding jacket. "It's not your fault," she added.

"But where will you go?" Regina softly queried, and the question was so innocent, so soft, like she was really concerned about Emma's well-being in this world of theirs.

Glancing out through the open door, Emma stared around; there were no servants milling about any longer, no visible activity, and the sky had grown darker during their conversation inside. It was – honestly – a little frightening to think that she'd have to go out there by herself, into a world that she had no idea what to expect of – but what else could she do? She eyed the closed wooden doors across the courtyard; the doors that she knew led into the stables, because Regina had handed Rocinante off to the stable boy earlier. "I guess I'll," Emma bit her lip, "I guess I'll see."

A soft hand tucked at her elbow, and Emma turned her head to find big, brown eyes, filled to the brim with tears, looking at her. "But... Will I ever see you again?" Regina whispered.

"I'm... I'm pretty sure," Emma nodded, turning her head back to the stables again. She bent her head, pressing a short kiss to Regina's cheek. "Thanks for today. Stay safe," she added and bounced down the steps, taking off in a slow run across the courtyard. She could feel Regina's eyes on her as she rounded the corner of the stable building, knowing for sure that the other girl would have been watching her until she was out of sight.

She didn't know what made her say those words to Regina, but Mrs. Mills had frightened her, and she had a bad feeling about letting Regina stay there with her. Her own _mother._ Thankfully, she still had Henry there to care for her.

Emma used her fingers to open the window in the back; it was easy, easier than anything Emma had ever forced open before, and she easily hauled herself inside by the arms. It probably wasn't a good idea to stay on Mills grounds, but she quite literally had nowhere else to turn, and a night buried in the hay seemed better than under a bush somewhere. Plus, if she was stuck inside this dream, she needed somewhere to spend the night until she woke up, and if this was truly _real_ like the Millses acted like it was... then she _really_ needed somewhere safe to be until she could figure out her next move.

She closed the window behind her, crept past the different horses in their stalls, before she found the pile of hay in the back. The stables smelled funny, of hay and horses and something like nature that Emma had never been used to before, but she buried herself in the haystack, making a pillow and finding a horse blanket on the shelf to cover herself with. Her glasses stayed on her nose; she was too afraid to leave them elsewhere, worried that she might have to run at a moment's notice.

She fell asleep quite easily; the events of the day had tired her out, and even if she was nervous about whatever this might mean, she pressed a hand to her stomach and told the little bean inside of her that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

A/N. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed this second one! As always, I am stessafanfic on twitter and tumblr.


	3. Chapter Three

**CHAPTER THREE**

"Stop it," Emma murmured, as she tried to roll away from whatever was disturbing her rest. "Can you not, I'm sleeping," she continued as she turned over, huddling beneath her blanket. She didn't want to wake up quite yet; she'd had the most _awesome_ dream while being out of it. She'd ended somewhere totally unreal and met a cute girl named Regina, and why did the stupid hospital staff have to wake her up now? She was _just_ enjoying it. And if she woke up, she had to deal with the fact that she had no way of paying for anything they had done after they pulled her out of the water, and maybe they'd figure out she was wanted for arrest back in Oregon, and she'd truly be fucked.

Something poked at her again – a pointy finger, Emma thought, which was painfully digging into her shoulder – and Emma took in a deep breath to really tell someone off, but when she did, all she inhaled was dust and … the smell of _hay_? Coughing, Emma pulled herself out of her sleep and sat up. Her eyes watered as she coughed, but she was immediately aware that was in fact not in a hospital in New York City, but very much lying in the haystack where she had tucked herself to sleep the night before.

And someone… someone was watching her with a slightly amused expression on their face. And holding out a canteen for her with wide eyes.

Blinking the wayward tears away, Emma reached for the canteen and quickly gulped down water to chase away the cough. She spilled a little as she drank, droplets trailing across her chin, and she wiped them away and held out the canteen with a timid, "Thanks," once she was done.

"No problem," the guy said as he stared at her with eyes still wide. He was dressed in a tunic and pants along with riding boots, and his attention was focused intensely on her. "You're that girl Emma, right?"

Emma tucked the horse blanket closer around herself, feeling slightly chilly in this fresh morning air. "Yeah," she hoarsely replied. The sun was shining brightly through the open doors, and Emma squinted her eyes as she tried to place the guy in front of her. Wasn't he the guy whom Regina had handed off Rocinante to yesterday when they returned to the mansion? "And you're…"

"I'm Daniel," he said, eyes shining brightly with amusement. "Daniel Colter." He held out his hand for her, and Emma accepted it easily enough, feeling somewhat certain – although wary – of this guy. She was pretty sure he wasn't going to run to Mr. and Mrs. Mills right this second and tell them that she was trespassing.

She came to her legs, stumbling slightly, and Daniel brushed her shoulders off, pieces of hay falling to the floor beneath them. "Uhm," Emma bit her lip and reached for her glasses. Somehow, they'd managed to stay on throughout the night, but they were dirty and hard to see out of. She absentmindedly tried to clean them in her sweater, but she was pretty sure it was just making it worse. "So, uh. You work here?" she asked him as she tucked the glasses back on. A little better at least.

Daniel pushed a barrel towards her with his foot and leaned himself against the wall. Horses were whinnying and moving around in their stalls, and Emma could hear a heavy activity outside in the courtyard, but Daniel looked calm. "I'm the stable boy," he explained with a tilt of the head.

"Nice," Emma said as she took a seat on the barrel. She didn't quite know what else to say.

Eyeing her, Daniel continued, "And you're here because…"

Emma shrugged. "I had nowhere else to sleep. Wasn't quite sure where to go. I'm not exactly," she cleared her throat, "from around here."

"Does Regina know that you're still here?" Daniel wanted to know next.

Fidgeting with the hem of her sweater, Emma was reluctant to answer. "Not… exactly," she breathed as she swept her tongue over her lips, wetting them slightly. They were cracked and they stung, and Emma watched him carefully through her glasses. "Mr. and Mrs. Mills, they uhm, they told me to… leave."

Daniel nodded, a soft look in his eyes. "I think Regina probably expected that. Have you – are you hungry?"

Emma nodded, a hand coming to rest on her very empty stomach. With a fond smile to the little bean growing inside of her, she said, "Yeah. I haven't eaten since…" she thought back to what – yesterday? when she'd been eating the sandwich at the motel, which was the last time she'd eaten anything. "In a while," she finished with a sheepish grin.

"I'll go get you something from the kitchens," Daniel said as he stuck his hand into his pocket, "you should stay here. Keep out of sight from everyone else."

Emma nodded once more, a wave of relief washing over her like no time before. "Why are you helping me?" she softly queried, because she was still Emma Swan, and believing the best in someone else was not her strongest suit. Especially not after she had trusted Neal with everything, and he'd screwed her over like nothing.

Daniel grinned at her, sideways and charming, "I got a feeling yesterday that Regina really liked you," he easily said as he pushed himself off the wall, "And I can tell when someone needs a helping hand. We'll figure it out, Emma. Just let me make sure that you get some food in you first," he offered her a parting smile and Emma watched him leave the stables in a half-run.

She sighed heavily and fell over on the barrel, not quite sure what had just happened. She'd been so sure yesterday that she'd wake up in a cold hospital room, well on her way to getting arrested, yet there she was, still stuck in this strange land that appeared so unreal she could hardly grasp it. Was this more than just a comatose dream, or was she hooked up to machines, lying on her deathbed somewhere? This couldn't be real… It was just too strange, yet everything around her assured her that it was, in fact, real.

The warmth of the sun on her face. The snarling hunger in her stomach. The way she could still feel little bean in her tummy, feel its presence even though it was only a few months old. But the _kindness_. The kindness of Daniel and Regina was unreal, something that Emma had never experienced before, and that – _that_ told her that this couldn't be anything more than a desperate dream made up by someone who had never experienced real care or love before.

Her stomach growled loudly and she tried once more to clean her glasses off; this time reaching beneath the sweater to try her luck at her tank top. The material was better, at least, and Emma was slightly satisfied as she pushed her glasses back onto her nose and decided to do something with her hair. She pulled her scrunchie out of the ponytail that was ruined after her sleep anyway, and she made a messy bun on her head quickly, tying it in with the scrunchie before looking around the stables. There was a bucket of water by the side that looked clean enough, and she carefully placed her glasses on the barrel before dropping her hands into the icy water and throwing it in her face.

Refreshed, Emma put her glasses back on and – even though Daniel told her to stay out of sight – made her way towards the nearest stall which held a horse the colour of sand with deep brown eyes and dark hair. The horse whinnied and stepped closer, pressing its muzzle towards the bars.

"Hello," Emma whispered, not quite daring to reach inside to touch the horse. It wanted her to, she could tell, but her reluctance around horses was still too great. "I don't know what I'm doing here," she confided in the horse with a little sigh as she leaned against the wood, "I am just so confused. What the hell is this place, hm?"

"Emma!"

Emma turned around at the sound of her name, for a brief second surprised, but not too long, because warm arms wrapped around her body and held her tight. She yelped, but recognised the scent of cinnamon and apples in an instant.

Regina pulled back, brown eyes shining with fondness, "I thought I'd never see you again."

"I uh, I slept in the hay," Emma revealed with a slight blush.

Hands running down Emma's arms, Regina squeezed her fingers tight. "You really didn't have anywhere else to go?" she softly questioned, worry written on her features.

Emma shook her head, and Daniel, who was right behind Regina, chimed in, "Why don't we get some breakfast and discuss this?"

Regina nodded and placed a firm hand on the small of Emma's back. "Let's sit out back. The sun is warm this morning." She guided Emma towards the other end of the small stable and retrieved a dark blanket on the way to wrap around Emma's shoulders.

On the other side of the building it was quiet; no other workers were milling about, and the sun had warmed the small, secluded nook up sufficiently. A few logs were placed around a makeshift table, and Emma could tell that this was where Daniel usually held his breaks. He sat down on the ground, thus leaving the two logs for Emma and Regina, and he immediately started unpacking the small basket he'd been carrying over his arm.

"Cook gave us a lot to choose from once you said you wanted a picnic," Daniel said as he eyed Regina.

Regina grinned. "Yes. She's always had a soft spot for me. I believe she thinks it's healthy that I've started to spend time with another person my own age." She accepted a piece of bread from Daniel with a hum. "Dig in, Emma, you must be terribly hungry."

Emma didn't have to be told twice; she grabbed a piece of bread from the basket too and took a huge bite, chewing hungrily and with eager. She swallowed the first bite quickly. "How long have you two known each other?" she wanted to know. Regina and Daniel seemed to care about each other, as more than just a worker and his employer's daughter, but Emma had a hard time understanding how things worked around here.

Regina swallowed neatly and took a sip of her canteen before answering Emma. "Daniel started working as the stable boy about two months ago. Mr. Baker was getting too old to handle the horses, and Daddy thought I needed someone younger to ride with me. Mother wasn't too pleased, but…" she trailed off, smiling fondly at Daniel, "Daniel got here, and we bonded quickly over our love for horses."

Daniel hummed in agreement. "Yes. And Regina is the most skilled rider I have ever seen. A shame that Mrs. Mills is not so fond of it as a pastime. I think you could get very far, Regina."

"Thank you, Daniel," Regina replied and gave his knee a warm squeeze. She looked back at Emma then, who had almost devoured her piece of bread. "Are you really from the Land Without Magic?"

Emma nodded as she reached for another piece of bread. "New York City," she replied as she ripped off a piece of the bread, squeezing it between her fingers, "I honestly have no clue how I got here, one minute I was standing at the fountain, the next I was lying on the field." She raised her eyes, looking briefly at Daniel before settling on Regina. "Is this really the Enchanted Forest?"

"Yes," Regina nodded in agreement. "Our current ruler is King White, his daughter will grow up to take the throne one day, but she's still young. There's a few years yet."

Furrowing her brow, Emma said, "Wait – King White? And let me guess, his daughter is named Snow?" she joked, laughter bubbling in the bottom of her throat.

Regina eyed her oddly. "Yes," she confirmed, lips thinning, "so you _do_ know of this place?"

"What," Emma stopped laughing, "are you for real? Snow White?"

"Yes," Daniel agreed and took an apple from the basket. He looked at her like she had suddenly grown another head. "But if you don't know how you got here, you don't know how to get back either?"

Emma shook her head and took an apple too. "Nope," she confirmed and bit into it. Damn, that was one of the best apples she'd ever tasted. Sweet and dripping with juice. She wiped at her chin. "This' good," she munched.

Regina laughed. "I'm glad. They're from my own tree." Her eyes shone warmly at Emma, and she hurried on. "It must have been magic somehow, even if Mother didn't believe it could be." She turned to Daniel, licking her lips. "The Land Without Magic has _no_ magic," she mused, and Emma thought that that was a given, "so how did you come _here_ …"

Daniel stared at Emma. "Could you have magic?"

Shrugging, Emma said, "Don't think so." She licked her lips, the apple juices coating her tongue. "But I don't want to get you in trouble with your mother. She seems like a real bitch."

"A bitch?" Regina furrowed her brow. "You mean a witch? She has magic, yes. Powerful magic."

Emma swallowed loudly, not quite sure where she stood on this magic yet. She could tell that Regina and Daniel honestly feared it, that it was not just an act – and her super power had not pinged _once_ in their company, but she was not entirely sure how reliable it was in this strange land anyway – but magic? Magic was _crazy._ Magic being real was _crazier._ But everything she had experienced in the last 24 hours seemed crazy. "Does… she have like a wand or something?" Emma asked as she licked her fingers. Harry Potter was her best reference to magic, but she couldn't be sure that wands were a thing.

Regina laughed. "No," she said. She shook her head, "Mother just uses her hands for spells. And she makes potions."

"I'm sorry I don't know more," Emma said because she didn't know what else to say. She turned her head away from them and stared out across the fields; the sun had risen, the sky was a faint pink, and it was wonderful and calm. She felt more at peace at this moment than she had done in ages, but she knew it was fleeting, that she couldn't feel complacent and secure. Life had never been that way for her. She should probably be on her way, even though it felt scarier than anything she had done to venture into this strange land that she didn't know. She could probably nick a few things, try one of those horses and see where she ended up.

She pressed a hand to her stomach beneath the blanket, remembering what was growing in there. If it had just been her, perhaps she would have done that; she would have taken the chance, see where it led her, but there was someone else at risk now, too. To go out there, not knowing when her next meal would be, not knowing what was going to happen… she couldn't do that to the little bean, she just couldn't.

"It's quite alright," Regina said with determination and thinly veiled affection, while Daniel nodded eagerly next to her, "We'll help you out."

Emma stared at them, not quite believing it. It seemed like they meant it, everything they said, but it seemed almost impossible to believe.

Regina reached a hand out and patted Emma's thigh comfortingly. "The question is just _how_ to help you out." She hummed, pulling her hand back, "If you know no one in this land, we can't send you on your way, that's most certain. You'll have to stay here with us."

Daniel said, "But how? Are you really going to hide her from your mother?"

"Mother knows _everything_ ," Regina said, voice cracking at the word 'everything'. She pondered it for a second or two, eyeing Emma intensely. "But she could get a job here! There must be somewhere they need an extra hand. Perhaps in the kitchens?" She looked at Daniel at that, clearly wondering what he thought of her suggestion.

Emma swallowed a bite of apple. "I can't cook for shit," she warned them. "By the way, I'm really a fan of these apples."

Regina's eyes widened. "Well, what can you do, Emma?"

"I dunno," Emma shrugged.

Daniel leaned forward, brow furrowed. "I could certainly use an extra hand around here. What do you say, Regina? Do you think you could convince your father of that?"

Regina appeared to think about it for a long while, and Emma just ate her breakfast, thankful for the best meal she'd had in _months._ It wasn't often she got to eat so much at once, and the company wasn't too bad either. It's not like she had anywhere else to go until she figured this out, so if Regina and Daniel could score her a job here, that'd be okay in her book. She had no clue what else to do, that was for sure.

"I think I can at least give it a try," Regina confirmed with a nod. Her hair was once more braided down her back and she puffed out her chest. "But if we want to succeed – we must get you cleaned up first, Emma." She smiled warmly at her, no malice whatsoever in her voice, "Daniel, can we borrow your room and some of your clothes?"

Daniel grinned and threw another apple towards Emma, who caught it with ease. "Of course. Anything you need, Regina."

Emma couldn't help but grin. "Does that mean, we're done eating already?" Perhaps she sounded a bit too disappointed.

Regina laughed, pressing her hand to her mouth to hide her grin. "No, you can still eat, Em-ma." Her giggles were light and carefree, and Emma was starting to love the way she tended to say her name. It was said with such warmth and care.

"Good," Emma mumbled, before she took a bite of her apple and turned her face against the sun.

Daniel pulled himself off the ground. "I better get to mucking out the stalls. But Regina – let me know if you need anything. I'll be here."

Shielding her eyes against the sun, Regina said, "Wonderful."

As Daniel bent down to press a quick kiss to her hair, Emma stared at them, wondering if there was more going on between them than friendship. They seemed so at ease with each other, but perhaps it really just was their love of horses that did it. "Take your time," he said, before he went inside the stables and closed the door slightly behind him.

Regina turned to Emma with a shy smile on her face. "I know all of this must seem impossibly strange to you, dear, but I really hope you'll like it here. It's going to be wonderful to have more friends!"

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Guess so. I never really had that many friends before," she revealed as she bit her lip.

"Me neither," Regina honestly replied. "Mother never allowed me to."

"I'm sorry," Emma answered softly.

Regina licked her lip. "Me too." She glanced at her wrist, checking the time on the watch there. "I have etiquette lessons soon. Do you wish to stay here and keep Daniel company meanwhile? I can pick you up as soon as I'm done, and we can get you cleaned up."

"Sounds cool," Emma nodded. She'd be okay right here until then, warm beneath the horse blanket and the sun, fuller than she had been in months. It was okay so far, better than ever, really.

Leaning forward, Regina placed a soft kiss to her cheek. "Wonderful," she murmured, her lips lingering slightly. "I'll be back soon."

Emma watched her run around the side of the building, towards the main house. "It's gonna be okay, little bean," she whispered to her stomach as she patted it and closed her eyes. _It's gonna be okay._

* * *

Thank you so much for your support so far! I love hearing what you think of the story, what's going to happen etc. etc. If you're reading, please drop off a comment - it makes it much funnier for me to keep writing!


	4. Chapter Four

I'm sorry for not updating on Friday - I was very ill and I had a ton of social engagements that weekend. The chapter is here now, and I hope you like it! And no worries, there will not be any Stablequeen romance in this fic.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

"You can wash yourself in the washroom next door," Regina explained as she unlocked the door with the key that Daniel had just provided them with. "It is the maids' washroom, they won't mind, just be quick."

Emma lingered in the doorway, watching as Regina moved with familiarity across the small room that was Daniel's private space. "Really?" She bit her lip, imagining Regina sneaking away from her mother to hang out with Daniel in his room at night.

Regina pulled a small closet open and turned to shoot Emma a supportive smile. "Go on. I'll find you something of Daniel's to wear while you do so."

The other girl's demeanor and personality was so supportive and kind that Emma could do nothing but obey. She was sweeter than any friend Emma had ever had in the system, and there was not one part of her that didn't believe that Regina wanted what was absolutely best for her. It was just strange – being in this land and trusting someone else the way she was so clearly trusting Regina – it wasn't something she had tried a lot, but perhaps being in a new place was the perfect opportunity to really shake things up.

She slipped into the room next to Daniel's, and she wasn't surprised to see that there was only a bath – not a shower in sight. Somehow, she had expected this, given everything she had learned about this land so far. She didn't have time to take a real shower anyway, she just filled a bowl with water and used a bar of soap to wash off sweat and grime from the past days. She couldn't do much about her hair, but she'd probably keep it in a neat bun or something. She had a feeling that Regina's father wouldn't mind too much – it was more her mother that Emma was worried about, if she was going to decide whether or not Emma could be a stable girl.

Once she was done, she returned to Daniel's room. She had her sweater draped over one arm, her boots dangling from the other. She'd taken them off to quickly wash them in the water before she left; they were old and filled with holes, but at least they weren't dirty anymore.

Regina stared up from the chair as Emma entered. "Wonderful," she said, her eyes running down Emma's form as she did.

Subconsciously, Emma shifted slightly to let the sweater cover her stomach, even though she knew that logically, Regina wouldn't be able to see anything yet. "So how do we do this?" Emma asked as she dropped her boots to the floor and the sweater on the bed. Regina had laid out an outfit for her there; pants, a leather belt, an undershirt and a tunic very much alike what Daniel was wearing this morning.

"You should change into this," Regina said as she stood up and moved to the bed, a sheepish smile on her face. "I hope you have your own brassiere, because Daniel did not have that in his closet."

Emma snickered. "I'm good, thanks."

Regina blinked at her. "I don't believe you can fit in mine, but we'll have to see about getting you some if you're to stay here." She reached for the undershirt and handed it to Emma. "This goes underneath," she said as she eyed Emma's pale arms quizzically. "I'll turn around for a moment while you change."

"I don't care," Emma breathed, and she pulled her tank top over her head in one smooth motion while Regina stared at her with wide eyes. Emma was used to changing in front of a lot of people – group homes would do that to a girl – and she had a feeling that she'd have to get used to that here, as well, if she were to share a washroom with a lot of maids.

Reaching for the pants, Regina said, "Oh. I wasn't sure what the customs of your land were. Here, I am quite used to having help getting into my dresses," she explained as she held out the pants. "You put these on, and then the belt."

Emma slipped into the pants easily, relishing in the soft, but thick material, and the way the pants were a lot looser than her jeans. They were quite big around the waist too, which would work wonderfully for her with a growing belly. At least she'd be able to hide it until she figured out what else to do. "Thank you," she breathed as she tucked the belt around her midsection and did it in. She did a lunge, testing the movement. "I'm really a fan of these pants," she said with a grin, meeting Regina's eyes.

The brunette stared at her, a look of slight confusion marring her face. "Now the tunic," she next explained, and she helped Emma get the brown material over her head and onto her shoulders. "Wonderful," she murmured, and her eyes swept over Emma's features critically. "I'll have to braid your hair."

"What," Emma said, eyes going wide beneath her glasses.

Regina pulled the chair out and motioned towards it. "Sit," she demanded lightly. "We have to braid your hair, so it doesn't get in the way. Thankfully, I did bring my brush."

Apparently, she'd been predicting this, so Emma took a seat and bit her lip as Regina pulled out her old scrunchie. Her hair was dirty and grimy, but there was nothing she could do about that – and she also wasn't used to anyone doing anything with her hair. She'd never had parents to teach her how to, no one had brushed her locks before tucking her into bed, so having Regina's gentle brushstrokes against her back and scalp was something else entirely. "Do you know how to braid," she asked, thinking that she had to say _something_ to fill this silence.

Humming, Regina's warm fingers brushed against Emma's ear. "Yes. My handmaiden has taught me since I was little. It is not usual to be taught, since there are always people on hand to do it, but I wished to know more, I wished to learn how to control my hair." She ran her fingers through Emma's locks softly, murmuring beneath her breath. "I never much cared for the long locks I have."

Emma stared at the wall, shoulders tense as Regina started dividing her hair into sections. "Why don't you cut them off then?"

Regina gasped. "Me? A girl? Mother would never allow that," she whispered, and her skillful fingers starting crossing locks of hair and making two braids from the top of Emma's head. "Once I am able to leave her house, I will cut it shorter so I don't have to spend so much time caring for it," she told Emma as she worked, "I think right above the shoulders will do. Once I'm older."

"You'll look pretty no matter what," Emma let slip past her lips before she even thought about it. She dug her front teeth into her lower lip and groaned inwardly.

"You're too kind," Regina said, but Emma could hear the fondness in her voice. "I have decided that we will go talk to Daddy about your future here. Once you are dressed more appropriately, I am sure he will not be able to say no to you. Daddy has a soft heart, he will want to help you."

Emma was tense, still not quite believing that it could even be possible to stay here with Regina and Daniel; it felt too good to be true, that it would work out like that. But perhaps luck was smiling her way for once. She really did need it most right now. "Are you sure?"

Regina nodded, snapping the scrunchie as she finished off Emma's braid. "Yes. Daddy is the most wonderful man I have ever met."

Tilting her head backwards, Emma stared up at her. "What about Daniel," she teased.

A faint blush rose on Regina's cheeks. "Daniel is kind to me. He is the only true friend I have ever had." She sat down on the bed, her white dress falling around her legs in soft cascades, a contrast to the rough material of Daniel's bedcovers. "The royal girls… They are not for me," Regina revealed.

Standing up from the chair, Emma patted her head to figure out what the braid looked like. There was no mirror in Daniel's room, and she had not seen one in the washroom either. It was very strange. "I can promise you, I am definitely not a royal girl," she grinned at Regina. The braid started in two braids from the top of her head and was woven together and into big braid that rested against her back.

"You are most definitely not like them, no," Regina said, and it was clear that she was amused by Emma's attempts at figuring out the braid. "Do you like it?"

"Very much," Emma quickly assured her, stuck her hands into the pockets of her pants. "The braid is awesome. I'm a fan of how _no_ hair is going to get in my eyes." She swung her head around, attempting to mess up the braid even the slightest, but nothing happened. Regina had made sure it stuck.

Regina giggled; her light laughter ringing through the room like bells, and it made Emma want to laugh, too. "You say that a lot," Regina murmured, curiosity written on her every feature.

"What?"

"That you're a fan…" Regina trailed off, brow furrowed, eyebrows knitted together. "What does it mean to be a fan of?"

Pausing, Emma stared down at her, wondering. "Uhm," she licked her lips. "It's… to like… really care for something. Like, like it a whole lot," she eventually settled for. She met Regina's eyes and shrugged.

Nodding her head, Regina stood up from the bed again. "Then I am a fan of you," she decided easily, with determination, and before Emma could correct her, she hurried on. "We should get to my father's office. Mother is away on an errand, we should use this opportunity to talk to him."

Emma blinked. "Okay," she said, a hand coming to rest upon her stomach once more. "You lead the way, Regina."

Regina smiled beatifically and hooked her arm through Emma's. "Follow me."

They waked through the halls and across the open courtyard. Emma could make out Daniel in the paddock next to the stable, exercising the horses. He had a smile on his face, giving out orders, and she made out Rocinante's form easily; the black stallion shining beautifully in the afternoon sunlight. As a contrast, the halls inside the mansion were empty and cold, only a sole maid scampered down the hall with her arms full of bread.

Knocking on the door to her father's study, Regina poked her head inside. "Daddy?" she queried innocently, and at Henry's faint hum, she pushed the door further open and stepped inside, Emma following nervously behind her, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She had had a good feeling about Henry Mills yesterday, and Regina seemed to believe that her father would be on their side, but she couldn't help being nervous. She didn't exactly have the best track record with trusting adults; it always came back to bite her in the ass.

"Princess," Henry greeted them, and his eyes moved from Regina to Emma, never losing their warmth. "And Emma," he chuckled, "I had a feeling that you might still be around here somewhere."

"Yes, Daddy," Regina determinedly said and took a seat in front of Henry's desk. Her arms were crossed, shoulders squared. "As I informed you yesterday, Emma is from the Land Without Magic, thus she has nowhere to go. We can't just let her fend for herself." She turned her head to the side and patted the spare chair next to her, "Emma, sit," she demanded with firmness.

Emma squandered to take a seat next to Regina, almost falling over her own feet in the process.

Henry's eyes crinkled with something akin to amusement, and he folded his hands beneath his chin. "And what might you girls suggest we do?"

Regina simply said, "We thought Emma might be a stable girl and help Daniel tend to the horses," she informed her father.

He hummed, "Mr. Colter has been rather busy with everything after he took over."

"I agree," Regina nodded, "so it's perfect. Emma stays here, safe and sound, and she works with the horses."

Henry turned his gaze away from his daughter and towards Emma instead. His hands dropped to the table, still folded, as he pondered. "And you are quite certain you want to care for the horses and not serve as a maid or down in the kitchens?"

Emma jutted out her chin. "Quite certain. I don't know much about horses, but I'm a quick learner."

Henry sighed and turned his eyes towards his daughter. "Regina, you do realise that your mother will not like this," he said. It was not a question at all, but a statement.

Regina nodded, back rigid in the chair next to Emma's. "I know, Daddy," she lightly said, and her warm hand came to rest upon Emma's thigh. "But Emma has nowhere to go. We _must_ give her this job. I'm sure she'll do wonderfully." She squeezed her fingers and retracted her hand.

"But where would she stay?" Henry questioned. He clearly wanted to please his daughter; Emma could tell by the look in his eyes that he'd move heaven and earth for Regina, and that was good for her at the moment. "She can't very well stay with the stable boy."

After a soft hum, Regina suggested, "Didn't Tamara from the kitchens just lose her bed-mate? I seem to remember that one of the maids left after she got married. Emma could stay with her."

Brown eyes searched Emma's face again, and Henry folded his hands beneath his chin and gave a curt nod. "Very well. I do not like to send young women into the woods with nowhere to go. I will give word to the maids, and after you have helped Daniel with the horses today, Regina can take you to your quarters. We expect you to be on hand for Daniel every hour of the day, and you will receive food and shelter and a small allowance. Is that agreeable with you?"

Nodding eagerly, Emma said, "Yeah. I mean – yes, Sir. Thank you."

Henry's face softened slightly as he said, "Good. You best get to the stables, and Regina - I seem to recall you had some reading assigned by your mother, is that correct?"

"Yes, Daddy!" Regina quickly said, eager to agree with him now that he had helped them. She rushed around the table and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek. "I will get to it at once. Thank you."

"You are welcome, my Princess," Henry said, and Regina smiled brightly as she shoved Emma out of the room.

As the door closed behind them, Emma broke into a giant grin and Regina squealed happily. "See! I knew Daddy would help you." Her features softened, and she brushed her fingers across the back of Emma's hand. "I will see you tonight, Emma?" Her eyes shone happily, her pink lips straining with the red scar protruding against her dark skin.

"Yes," Emma agreed, and she stuck her hands into her pockets and reluctantly left Regina to find Daniel in the stables.

Working in the stables was hard, but not bad at all. Daniel had her mucking out the stalls for a start, and he was generally very good about teaching her how to act around the horses. She even got close enough to Rocinante to touch him and stroke his back. She had to admit, she was frightened by those big animals, but if she had to choose between them – being free, being outside, using her body – and making food or cleaning, the horses would win any day. She was even pretty sure that she might grow to like them.

Once she was done mucking out, she watched from the sidelines as Daniel trained one of the younger horses. It was another stallion; this one the colour of sand and with a dusted tail and white legs, and Emma laughed as the horse did whatever it pleased, barely listening to any of Daniel's commands or directions, completely doing whatever it wanted to. It reminded Emma of the old Volkswagen Beetle she and Neal had lived in all through their relationship; untrustworthy, temperamental and prone to doing whatever it wanted.

Daniel came to a halt in front of where she was sitting on the side of the paddock, and he breathed heavily as he slid off the horse, letting it run free to blow off some steam. His brow was sweaty, but he was grinning. "I'm having some real troubles with him. He barely listens to me."

Emma laughed, eyes following the stallion as it playfully ran around. "I can see that. He's stubborn."

Whistling, Daniel leaned against the fence and said, "Yeah. We just got him a few months back. No one wanted him because of his temper, but Regina – she loves horses." He smiled wistfully, tilting his head back to stare up at Emma with bright blue eyes, "She couldn't leave him behind, and she convinced Mr. Mills to buy him for a small amount."

"And now you're training him," Emma chuckled.

Daniel shook his head, fond. "Yeah. I think I'd do anything to make Regina happy."

Emma eyed him silently, chewing on the corner of her lip. She wasn't entirely sure what she was supposed to reply to that, so instead she just said nothing. She couldn't really get a read on Daniel and Regina's relationship. It seemed beyond that of a stable boy and the employer's daughter, and it was clear that their common love for horses had founded their friendship – or whatever it was between the two of them.

"So how are you finding the Mills family so far?"

"I'm not sure," Emma honestly replied. She was more comfortable than she had been in months; the sun had warmed her all day, she was in clean clothes and she knew that she had a bed to sleep in tonight and a meal for dinner. "I'm still not entirely sure I'm not making this up in my head, you know?"

Daniel furrowed his brow. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

Emma wasn't sure she knew either. "I fell, you know? And the place I was? It wasn't too great." She paused, continuing to gnaw at her lip. "So maybe I'm just knocked out somewhere, making all this shit up because it seems better than anything else."

Pushing himself away from the fence, Daniel replied, "Well, all I can tell you is that it is very much real. I am real, this is real. And why shouldn't it be?" He grinned at her, "I'm sure Regina can tell you much more about that though. However, she isn't too fond of magic, but I have a feeling she's fond of you."

"You think?" Emma eyed him quizzically.

"I am almost certain," Daniel grinned. "And," he added and motioned behind her, "here she comes now, running from her classes. I'm going to nap, but I will see you at dinner down in the kitchens later."

Emma whispered, "Okay," and Daniel took off running towards the huge building, brushing past Regina as she ran across the yard. Emma spun around on the side of the paddock, careful not to tilt, and watched as she came closer; her ponytail bounced in the wind, and she was dressed in a light blue dress and flats, looking like a true fairy tale in every sense of the word. Emma really loved how pastel colours brought out her skin tone.

"Hi," Regina giggled as she came to a stop in front of Emma. Her eyes shone brightly, and her chest was heaving up and down beneath the intricate lace pattern that made up the front of her dress. "Have everything been to your liking so far?"

Not able to stop herself from grinning at the other girl, Emma nodded eagerly. "Yeah, it's been awesome! Daniel is really great. I think I might like it here. I am sure I'll wake up at some point, but might as well enjoy it while it lasts."

Regina shook her head at her, looking up at Emma from where she was positioned in front of her. She was not as tall as Emma, and with the blonde on top of the fence, the height difference was even bigger. "You are silly. This is very much real," Regina promised her.

Emma shrugged. "So, uh? Do I get to see my crib now?"

"I assume you mean your room?" Regina questioned, one eyebrow raised. At Emma's nod, she continued, "You will be staying with Tamara. She is one of my favourite handmaids. You could do worse."

"Sure thing, boss," Emma joked and hopped off the wooden fence, landing with her feet firmly against the ground. "Lead the way."

They continued up the field towards the courtyard. Emma noticed that Regina was walking peculiarly slow, but she said nothing to it, just matched the other girl's pace. Darkness was settling around the grounds, and Emma couldn't believe that she had already been in this weird place for more than a day. It was odd; she'd never felt more out of place, yet at the same time she felt strangely at home.

The silence was jarring, and Emma could tell that Regina was thinking hard, so she nudged the brunette's shoulder gently and said, "So your dad said something about studying? What are you studying? You don't have school or some shit?"

Regina tilted her head to the side. "School? No, I have different tutors. I have learned Latin and Spelling, of course. Mother demands for me to read up on potions and spells already. She is rather wishing for me to have magic like herself, but I don't much care for it."

"You mean you can learn magic?" Emma gaped at her.

"Some of it. Potions and some spells," Regina explained with a shrug of her shoulder. They turned onto the courtyard then, their feet crunching against the small pebbles. "Great magic is inherited though; something you are mostly born with or prone to do. Most magic is emotion." She stuck her hands into her pockets and added, "I don't want to learn. I have seen what magic can do."

Emma mumbled, "It's bad, huh?"

Regina reached for her hand suddenly, fingers clasping around her wrist and brown eyes meeting Emma's. They shone with emotion, deep and heartfelt, and her fingers clenched painfully. "Certainly, all the magic I have experienced," she whispered, and there was something dark and desperate looming right beneath her eyes.

Emma just stared at her.

The grip loosened around her wrist, Regina's hand dropping to hang limply by her side. "Mother wants me to study, so I have to study. But Daddy teaches me Spanish, and he lets me have my horses." She started walking again, briskly across the courtyard to the help's entrance.

Hurrying to catch up with her, Emma breathed, "Is your mother in charge?"

"Very much so," Regina solemnly replied as she pushed the door to the smaller building open. "Daddy picks his battles. Like he did for you. Mother wasn't happy."

Biting her lip, Emma followed Regina down a narrow hallway. They went past Daniel's room and a couple of room's further down and to the left. The door was open, and Regina stepped inside, Emma awkwardly following her. A young black girl – probably around Emma's age – was sitting on one of the beds with a book nestled in her lap, finger pointed on the page. She looked up upon their entrance, brown eyes growing wide as they landed on Regina.

"Ms. Mills," she quickly gaped, book snapping close and falling to the side with a swoosh.

"No rush, Tamara," Regina quickly assured her with a kind smile, "I have not come because I need you. I am merely bringing you the new stable girl. She will be rooming with you." Regina motioned towards Emma who awkwardly stepped closer, waving at Tamara.

Tamara's shoulders sagged. "Oh. Stable girl?"

"Yes," Regina nodded. "Father thought it important that we hire another person to help Daniel care for the horses. Emma is that person."

Stepping forward, Emma reached her hand out and shook Tamara's. "I don't snore," she said.

With a nod, Tamara said, "Fine. I reckon having my own room was nice while it lasted."

Regina shifted awkwardly on her feet. "Alright then. Emma, I assume Tamara will make sure to bring you to dinner and show you where everything is located. I reckon, you would probably like to bathe at the next opportunity."

Emma rushed back to her side, merely forgetting Tamara for a second. Panic rose in her throat, heart beating wildly against her ribcage. She had assumed that she would have more time with Regina now that the day's work was finally over, but she was already leaving? "When will I see you again?" she whispered, very aware that Tamara was watching them from the bed.

Placing a warm hand on Emma's arm, Regina gave it a light squeeze. "Tomorrow after noon. I have my tutors before lunch. I shall see you there?" There was something brimming in her eyes, like hope and promises, and something wonderful, and Emma trusted her every word.

"Okay," she whispered, ducked her head and stepped back. "I will see you, Reg-" she cut herself off, remembering Tamara's presence once more, "-Miss Mills," she finished.

Regina's cheeks tinted a light pink. "See you, Emma. Tamara," she added, before she stepped outside of the room and closed the door behind her.

Emma fell onto the spare bed with a huff and groaned, "When's dinner. I'm _starving_."

Tamara laughed and threw her pillow across the small room. "I think I like you already. On a first name basis with the mistress, I see." She arched an eyebrow when Emma turned her head to stare at her with an open mouth, "You've got gumption, huh?"

"And you're not just a boring handmaiden," Emma stated.

"You got that right," Tamara said as she reached for her book again and offered Emma a pointed look. "Wait until you meet Mulan from the kitchens. She's not just the cook's daughter either."

Emma furrowed her brow and watched the other girl bend her head to look into her book again. If she was making this up in her head, she was seriously beginning to question her own sanity. And if she wasn't – and she was slowly starting to believe that that might actually be the case – this place was more magical than Emma could have ever dreamed of.

* * *

A/N. Tamara is supposed to be Tamara from the show, but her backstory is not the same, i.e. she is not some evil anti-magic person from the Land Without Magic set out to destroy Regina. She is merely a handmaiden in this universe. I'd just rather use one of the many characters from the show than make one up myself.


	5. Chapter Five

A/N. I get a bit into horses in this chapter, but since I don't have much experience with horses myself, I apologise in advance if something is off. I tried researching.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

The first few days as the stable girl flew by quickly. Emma woke up the first morning in the room she shared with Tamara, feeling more and more certain that this place could not be a mere dream. Surely, if that was the case, she would have woken up by now, and thus Emma started to suspect that perhaps the Enchanted Forest was _not_ just a place of fairytales but another realm adjacent to the World Without Magic that she grew up in. It was giving her a headache when she thought too much about it, so she quickly decided – since she was okay for now – to just let it go and try to _live._

For the first time in what felt like centuries, but was actually just years, Emma was certain where she was going to wake up in the morning and where her next meal would come from. She knew it wasn't a longterm solution, staying with Regina's family and working as the stable girl, but it would have to do for now. The rest she could figure out later.

Daniel helped her getting acquainted with the horses; she didn't dare go near them just yet, but she did the dirty work and smiled meanwhile, because Daniel was funny, and he told her about his own life, growing up in a small village not far from here, and he accepted that she barely wanted to tell nothing about her own life in return.

Tamara introduced her to Mulan, too. Her father worked in the kitchens, and Mulan was about Regina's age. The young girl mostly followed behind some of the peacekeepers that watched the Mills grounds silently, and if she wasn't with them, she'd be found behind the kitchens, pretending to fight some evil foe with a sword made of sticks.

Emma was pretty sure that Cora Mills had been quite furious with her husband once she returned from her errands; she had run around with steam practically spiralling out of her ears, and the first time she saw Emma after, she'd levelled her with such a glare that the blonde almost passed out. Two afternoons after that, Regina had come to find Emma and Daniel by the paddock with angry red marks around her wrists, and Emma didn't know quite what had gone on, but she had a feeling that Mrs. Mills was responsible for them.

She still had not seen any sign of magic anywhere, although Daniel kept reassuring her that it was common practice in the Enchanted Forest to possess _and_ use it. Not that a lot of people had it, but those who did? They were _very_ powerful.

Apparently there was a dark person around here somewhere that you definitely had to be weary of. Emma wasn't quite sure what they meant by 'dark', but she thought it better to listen to them. She didn't want any troubles. However, she figured, as long as she did her job and kept peace with Mrs. Mills, she'd be able to stay where she was, and she hoped that no dark one would find her there.

Emma had lost track of how many nights she had spent in the Enchanted Forest, because the days flew by quickly with hard work and so many new impressions, but it could be no more than a week. No more than a week, and being in the company of Daniel and Regina (and Tamara and Mulan) made her feel safer and more at home than she had done in ages. Honestly, it mostly had to do with the cute smiles Regina kept shooting her whenever she dropped by to spend time with the horses – which was as much as possible, because Regina _loved_ Rocinante, that much was evident to Emma.

"She's usually not _this_ much at the stables," Daniel commented with an arched eyebrow, as Regina hurried across the courtyard in a half-run. Her hair was loose today; a rarity, and Emma's eyes trailed the long locks as they flew behind her, swept back by the wind.

Her throat was dry. "Guess she just really misses Rocinante," Emma said. She eyed the clock on her wrist – a very real reminder of the life she had lead back in New York City – and continued. "Her lessons must've just ended."

Daniel laughed. "Yeah, she must really _miss_ Rocinante." He motioned towards the black horse, chilling out in the stall behind Emma. "Do you think you might want to get him ready for her?"

Emma tore her eyes away from Regina and stared determinedly at the horse instead. He was quite temperamental, but he was nothing like the sandy horse Emma had greeted on her first morning here. Now _that_ was a horse with personality, quite too much of it, perhaps. She jutted out her chin. "Give me the damn horse blanket," she murmured.

Laughing loudly, Daniel retrieved the blanket as Emma carefully unlatched the small hook on Rocinante's stall. The horse greeted her with a small whinny, and Emma held her breath, carefully pushed the door open to let the horse pass by her. She was vaguely aware of the fact that Regina was now hovering near the entrance to the stables, fingers curling around the side of the wood, and Daniel smile and nudged the blanket closer to her. "Do you remember?" he wished to know, blue eyes kind as he hovered over her like a big brother might.

Shooting him a nervous smile, Emma retrieved the blanket, "Uh…"

"I'll help," Regina butted in with a low murmur, pressing the palm of her hand gently across Rocinante's muzzle as she greeted him. "We'll teach Emma how to dress you, won't we Rocinante?"

"Thank you," Emma stuttered, and together, they placed the horse blanket on top of Rocinante's back, the dark horse standing obediently still as they did. "And now the saddle?"

Regina nodded in the affirmative. "Yes," she breathed, and Daniel was right there with the saddle, transferring it to Emma's arms. The two of them watched as she carefully – so determined to get it right this time around – placed it on Rocinante, too, before fiddling with the girth around his stomach. "Good, Emma," Regina assured her, and when Emma stared briefly up at her, there was nothing but kindness in her eyes.

"And then the bridle and the uh, reins," Emma said, just needing to voice her actions in case they had to stop her from doing something wrong. It wasn't as much the actions of getting the horse ready, but it was also just being _near_ the horse. Daniel and Regina did not understand her hesitance, but Emma tried to explain that she'd never seen one up close like this before.

Regina hummed and reached into the pocket of her riding jacket, sneaking out a carrot and feeding it to Rocinante with her palm up. "Do you want to ride a bit with me today, Emma? Daddy said I am allowed to take a small trip through the woods. Rocinante needs to get out a bit."

Emma immediately thought that that sounded incredible – any time spent with Regina really was – but riding? _Her_? She wasn't sure she could. "Uhm…"

"You'll ride with me, of course," Regina assured her, somehow reading Emma's facial expression without troubles. "It's not something we can do a lot, because it's not good for the horse, but Rocinante is strong, and I'd like to show you more of this land."

Daniel spoke up, "I'll make sure to get the rest of the work done here. You've still got a lot of daylight left. You should go enjoy it."

Eyeing him, not quite believing that it could be _that_ easy, Emma said, "You sure?"

"Certainly," Daniel smiled.

"Get on with it, slowpoke," Regina teased as she grabbed Rocinante's reins and started pulling him towards the open stable doors. "Mulan said she would meet us in the courtyard with some snacks. Mother is gone for dinner, so I am in no rush to get back home."

Emma turned to look at Daniel once more, still not quite certain that he was actually this okay with just doing all of the work, but he made a motion with his head, before she managed to say a word, and Emma scrambled off behind Regina, throwing a quick _thank you_ after him as he left. She could hear his roaring laughter when she caught up with Regina outside. She eyed Rocinante once more – she supposed it was about time that she actually got _onto_ a horse since she was a stable girl. It wasn't that she didn't want to, it was more that she didn't know _how._ Horses were so damn big.

"You can climb onto the fence and I'll make sure you get on safely," Regina assured her with a pointed eyebrow. The red scar above her lip stood out proficiently today, straining as she smiled, but Emma thought that it was slowly fading more and more. Regina must be putting some kind of ointment on it.

"If I fall down and die, I blame you," Emma joked as she climbed onto the wooden fence. Rocinante was clearly getting impatient, itching to get some real exercise, and Regina calmed him with a hand against his neck.

"I would never allow you to fall, silly," she promised, and she reached a supportive hand out to Emma, as the blonde girl swung one leg over the giant horse and somehow ended up in the saddle. "Well done!" Regina calmly cheered, and before Emma had time to respond or give retribution, Regina was sitting behind her, her front nestled closely into Emma's back, arms around Emma's body to grasp the reins.

Emma gasped; partly because of how quickly it had all happened, partly because a certain part of Regina's body was tucked up against hers, and she could feel it _vividly._ Breasts. Regina had breasts, even though they were often hid well behind dresses or riding jackets, but they were most definitely _there._ And despite her current predicament being because she had slept with a man, Emma was no novice in regards to breasts. She _loved_ them. She always had. Ever since Lily Paige let her touch hers on the floor of her parents' summer house.

Regina froze. "Are you alright?" she questioned, hot breath ghosting across the back of Emma's neck. Her hair was tied up, as she'd come to like it best during the work in the stables, so she had no protection but for the small hairs curling around her neck. "I didn't mean to scare you. Rocinante is good."

Biting her lip, Emma forced herself to relax against Regina's body. It was sweet, the brunette thought that Emma was nervous being on the horse, when all that was really happening was enticing body parts and the fact that it was far too long since Emma had had sex. _Not since making you,_ she though with a fond smile at her little bean. She straightened her back. "I'm good," she whispered, "I'm good now. You can go."

Giggling, light and carefree, Regina curled the reins around her hands and clicked her tongue. Rocinante started a slow walk towards the courtyard, where Mulan was already waiting for them, back leaned against the side of the building and a satchel between her feet. She smiled at them as they came closer, and Emma let her body be guided up and down along to the motions of the horse, just like Daniel had told her to do. It was kind of calming in a way, this slow walk, at least when she tried not to think about the fact that she appeared to be high up in the air at the moment. The ground was dangerously far below her, she mused.

"A picnic?" Mulan questioned as she stood on her tiptoes to hand Emma the satchel. Her kind eyes shone mischievously, and she had her fake sword tucked into the side of her belt.

Regina nodded. "Yes. Daddy suggested so. He is in no rush for dinner either. He rather enjoys the quiet when both Mother and I are gone from the house."

Mulan said, "I will let my father know. Have a great trip."

They bid Mulan goodbye and took off through the courtyard, bypassing a gaping Tamara who was washing clothes outside, and once they were a bit further away from the grounds, following the path that Regina had taken Emma down the day they had first met, Regina asked if it was okay for her to pick up the pace. Emma clenched her thighs more firmly around the horse, determined not to slow Regina down, and she clung to the saddle for dear life as Rocinante started a slow trot. She knew he could move so much faster – she'd _seen_ Regina and him in a gallop – but for now this was good. This she could handle.

They entered the small forest in silence. The woods moved around them, birds chirping, leaves rustling, and Emma basked in the strays of sunlight streaming through the cracks as the sound of Rocinante's steps echoed around them. Regina didn't say much; she seemed happy to just ride along with Emma between her arms, and Emma was in no rush to break the comfortable silence between them. This trip was a nice reprieve from working in the stables – even though she was quickly coming to love that job – and she was determined to enjoy it as much as she could. Who knew when she and Regina would be able to take such a small trip again?

When they'd been riding for a little while, Regina took a different course than the one they had been on the other day. "There's a small lake just down here. I thought we might have our picnic there?"

"Sounds awesome," Emma agreed. She was just amazed by anything really, she had no specific wishes, and she trusted Regina's choice. Plus, she was starting to feel sore on her butt, not at all used to the motions of horseback riding.

Regina chuckled lowly behind her, "You have such peculiar words in your vocabulary."

Emma chuckled, too. "What? Like 'awesome'?"

"Yes," Regina agreed, and she clicked her tongue and pulled the reins, just as a small, secluded lake came into view. There were plenty of sunny spots around the lakeside, and patches of green grass. Regina had assured her the other day that winter had already come and passed for them, but that they usually didn't experience the snow or cold for a very long time. Spring was here, she'd said, and other parts of Fairytale Land, as she liked to call it, were covered in snow for much longer than that.

Emma gazed in awe as the sun of spring shone against the calm surface of the lake; on the sides were poppies, strewn in clusters between trees and bushes, and it truly felt like a secluded place where no one would ever be able to find them. "Wow," Emma breathed out, for a moment forgetting that she was mounted on top of big horse; she leaned forward and reached a hand out, eager to brush her fingers through the green leaves of a nearby tree.

"Whoa," Regina laughed and grabbed onto her elbow, so as she didn't fall over. She grinned, laughter bubbling over her lips easily and with no resistance at all. "Careful there."

Whipping her head around, Emma met Regina's amused eyes. "Are we stopping here?"

Regina said, "I thought so," as she pulled on the reins and Rocinante came to a stop. She easily slid off the horse, feet landing elegantly on the ground beneath them. She stared expectantly up at Emma, holding out a hand. As Emma just stared at her, not quite ready to slide off, too, in case she fell, and Regina arched an eyebrow in amusement. "I've got you, Emma," she promised, "Trust me."

It wasn't a lot of people that Emma had trusted in her life, but she had a feeling that if anyone deserved her trust, it was definitely Regina. The other girl had shown her nothing but kindness since she met her. With a determined huff, Emma moved to slide off the horse, accepting Regina's hand easily. With their packed picnic in the other hand, she felt both feet hit the ground, safe, and she couldn't quite believe she had survived her first horseback riding experience. Her legs kind of felt like jelly, her butt hurt like a motherfucker, but otherwise she was quite on top of the world for being on Rocinante for all through their short trip.

"Not so bad?" Regina lightly questioned when she caught sight of Emma's relieved expression. She didn't let go of Emma's hand, but squeezed it even tighter.

Emma felt a faint blush rise to her cheeks. "Guess not."

Regina tugged at her hand, "Rocinante will enjoy the grass. Let's find a place to sit."

They sat down near the lakeside in a sunlit spot, and Emma rested in the grass, running her fingers through the long, untrimmed leaves, basking as the rays of warmth hit her face accordingly. Regina unpacked their small basket; cheese, apples, some dried meat and bread. There was also a glass bottle filled with some kind of red liquid. They ate in silence for a little while, Emma enjoying the break from working in the stables, and Regina – without a doubt – enjoying the trip away from home, lectures and so much more.

Emma was curious about Regina's life, however. She was starting to understand that people in the Enchanted Forest didn't really go to school in the way that she had done, but that Regina took lessons for a lot of different things; not math and science and P.E. like Emma had done in her childhood, but etiquette, spells and Latin. Tamara had never gone to school, but she was trying to learn how to read. Emma tilted her head upwards, eyes to the sun, and basked in the peace of this moment.

"So what kind of lessons did you have today?"

Regina hummed around a piece of cheese. "My Latin tutor came to see me, so I've studied the old scrolls in my mother's study all day. It's quite boring."

Emma said, "But why do you need to learn Latin?"

"It's the old scriptures, the old spell books, everything is in Latin," Regina explained with kind eyes, an amused twinkle teasingly present. "Do you not know Latin?"

Shaking her head, Emma reached for a piece of dried meet, letting the taste wrap around her tongue – not familiar, not unpleasant – as she replied. "No. In my, what do you call it? Realm-" Regina nodded, and Emma continued, "-we don't have Latin anymore. It's practically a dead language. Of course there are traces of it in present languages, but not..." She trailed off with a sigh.

Regina said, "Are there many different languages in your world?"

Emma shrugged. "Yeah."

"Do you have Spanish and Mandarin?" Regina asked with curiosity.

"Yeah, definitely."

"My father is from the Souther regions of Misthaven, they mostly speak Spanish there," Regina continued to explain, deftly running her fingers through the grass. "Mother doesn't like me speaking Spanish. She says, I am meant to be Queen, and queens don't speak Spanish. But I like learning my father's language and his customs. They are much different from Mother's."

Emma hadn't really thought much about different cultures and languages in the Enchanted Forest, but she was starting to understand that much of it mirrored her own world's. There was racism, sexism and homophobia, and it made sense, she thought, because after getting to know Mulan she was starting to draw parallels to the fairy tales she had grown up reading. Not that they were completely the same, because they obviously weren't, but Snow White was definitely a real person here, and she'd heard about giants and mermaids and a dragon woman named Maleficent. She was starting to understand that her view of the world was severely limited; that there was much more to life than just the things she had been taught in her world.

If she wasn't making all of this up, of course. But she was starting to doubt that even _she_ was able to make this kind of story up in her head.

"Daddy teaches me in secret," Regina revealed, and her cheeks popped with her little secret, while her eyes shone with excitement as she looked at Emma.

The blonde grinned. "Good," she firmly said as she reached for another piece of meat. "What is this by the way?" she asked as she bit into it.

Regina furrowed her brow. "I believe it is dried chimera."

"Chimera?" Emma gaped down at the meat in her hand. What the fuck was a chimera?

Staring at her quizzically, Regina said, "Yes. Do you not know what chimera is?"

Emma shook her head. "No. I grew up eating chicken and pork and stuff."

Regina laughed and leaned forward, tucking her hand behind her back, beneath her riding jacket. "It's a good thing I brought something for this trip," she explained as she pulled out a worn piece of paper, folded together multiple times. "I thought it good that you learn some things of this land if you are meant to stay here," she continued to say as she started unfolding the paper.

It took Emma a minute to realise that it was a huge map; worn around the edges, fainted writing and colours, but so big that it filled up the space in front of them. She scrambled to remove some of their food off to the side. "Wow," she mused; the map was filled with oceans, lands in different colours and words in a language that she did not know.

"We can talk about different foods another time," Regina promised her with a sideways smile. She placed a finger on the map and leaned forward, Emma following her motion. "This is Misthaven – or the Enchanted Forest as it is popularly called," she explained, her fingers tracing the outlines of a giant land in the middle of the map. "There are the Southern regions, as well as the Northern ones. This is Arendelle, the land of ice and snow. They have their own king and queen."

Emma nodded, her eyes trailing over the different words – she saw the different oceans and paused on one titled _the Bottomless Sea –_ and she saw lands named DunBroch and Camelot. A Land of Untold Stories. Now, some of those she _definitely_ knew of; had read of in fairytales before. "Wonderland," she mused, fingers pausing at a blob of colourful land in the middle of nowhere.

Regina nodded. "Yes, Wonderland. One cannot travel there unless by magic. It's a part of its peculiarity. One can travel to Camelot by horse as an example, but not Wonderland. It's tricky to come and go there, so not many people have been."

Emma's eyes trailed over the map as she tried to understand the geography of the place she had ended up in, but she was pretty sure that she would never be able to understand all of it, especially when there were places one couldn't just travel to. She paused though. "Where does the Land Without Magic fit into this then?"

"Oh, that's not on this map, because it is another realm entirely," Regina quickly explained, and she struggled for a moment to turn the map over. She smoothened it out, eyes glistening. "This is the different realms, you see. Here," she tapped the map, "is the Land Without Magic, and this is Misthaven," she explained with another tap. She trailed her fingers over the map next, showing the different realms. "And this is..."

"Neverland," Emma breathed, because _that_ she had definitely heard of. Which kid hadn't read Peter Pan before bed? But there was also something called the Underworld, and even Mount Olympus. The world was seriously much bigger than she had ever thought.

Regina nodded. "Yes," she smiled. "So, you see, there are a lot of different realms. Now all realms," she firmly said, "you can't travel between without magic, which is why it is such a puzzle how you ended up here in the first place."

Emma eyed her, still blown away by the maps she had just seen. She tried to understand it, tried to make it fit into a system she already knew, and she could only make sense of it by comparing the different lands in the Enchanted Forest to different countries in her world – the Land Without Magic. And then there were different realms entirely. Perhaps there were different lands in each of those realms as well? "I'm really not sure," she said to Regina then, "I mean, you said it yourself, it's a land without magic, so how did it happen?"

"There has to be magic there somehow," Regina said as she started folding up the map again. "I reckon it's always there, running beneath the ground, at least that's what Mother has always taught me. The reason that it is called the Land Without Magic is solely the fact that no one seems to believe in magic anymore, so it ceases to exist."

"There were witch trials in the 1600s," Emma shrugged and sat back on her butt. She reached for another piece of dried chimera. "And hey, can I have that map to study later?"

Regina nodded, excited, and handed over the map before reaching for the glass bottle. She took a long gulp of it, swallowing loudly. "I have tried to read in Mother's books, but there is so much she still will not allow me to touch. Despite the fact that she so desperately wants me to be Queen."

Emma eyed her carefully, stretched out her legs and wriggling her toes inside her boots. "Why does she want you to be Queen? You guys seem to have it good enough."

"She wanted to be Queen herself, but the Prince did not want her," Regina explained and placed the bottle down. "She was merely a miller's daughter. Daddy comes from wealth despite his roots."

"How do you measure wealth in this land?" Emma questioned next. It was something she had thought a lot about. She had never seen or heard anything about getting paid, and it was obvious that people got paid in shelter and food, perhaps some gold, and that people exchanged goods with each other.

Regina reached into her pocket and held out a small handful of round coins – at least Emma assumed that that was what it was – as she said, "There are coppers and silvers and golds," she explained, "and that is all."

Emma picked one up, carefully studying it with a squinted eye. It was a copper coin, and if she were to follow the only logic she knew, this would be the least valuable of the coins. "This place is so different from anything I know," she said with a sigh, and she handed back the coin to Regina, their fingers brushing against each other.

"Can you tell me about this Land Without Magic?" Regina queried, and they fell back onto the grass, their heads pressed together as they stared at the tree tops and the glimmers of light shining through, while Emma talked about the Land Without Magic. She didn't go into detail about her own life or childhood, but merely talked about how everything worked there. She tried explaining once more about cars and subways and about apartment buildings, and Regina stared at her in wonder as she spoke.

"And you can travel everywhere in this world quickly – not as quickly as by magic, I guess, but by something called planes that move through the sky," Emma said as she pointed into the sky, tracing an invisible line above them.

Regina squinted her eyes at the bright sun. "But how do they stay up there?"

Emma tilted her head and shot her a sideways grin. "I can't explain it. Sometimes it feels like magic, but it's actually science," she shrugged.

"It sounds like an amazing place," Regina murmured, her hand landing on the ground again; closer to Emma's, so close their fingers touched. "With all the lights, and the people and the possibilities. It sounds like somewhere you could really find your happy ending," she mused, wistful, and there was a far-away look in her eyes.

Emma imagined her, dreaming of a place where she could be free of her mother's reins, could control her own life and take charge of her destiny. It probably sounded amazing for Regina to live in such a place like New York, but Emma was honestly finding this much nicer than she had ever experienced before. "Yeah, I guess," she said, and they both turned their heads, so their noses were brushing, eyes meeting eyes. "But the thing is," she added, with a lick of her lip, "no one really does, y'know?"

Brown eyes widened. "They don't?" She sounded like she couldn't imagine how anyone _couldn't_ find their happy ending in the Land Without Magic.

"No," Emma murmured, trailing a finger across Regina's palm. "Almost no grown-up I have ever known has found their happy ending. I don't think it's possible there."

"I think so," Regina firmly said. Her eyes shone with determination, and she turned her hand over to link their fingers. "It has to be an amazing place. You came from there to me. I think I'd like to go there someday."

Emma's heart sped up. At the words or by Regina's action, she wasn't sure. "You wouldn't like it there," she murmured and gave her hand a squeeze for good measure, "there are no happy endings."

* * *

A/N. I am slightly unmotivated to write this fic at the moment, which sucks, because I have been so excited while planning it. I'm not sure if it's the lack of response or whatever, but I hope to get my mojo back. I shall try to deliver my weekly updates, but as for now I can't promise it for certain.


	6. Chapter Six

**CHAPTER SIX**

Daniel was outside with all the horses to make room for Emma to easily muck out the stalls. They loved their time in the paddock like that, and Emma loved having the quiet time this early morning to do her work. Regina probably wasn't even up yet, and if she was, she was on her way to some lesson or other. This time of day was usually quiet; the help was doing work in the kitchens or inside the mansion, and she and Daniel had the space outside to themselves.

Emma wiped her brow and rested her back against a stall. Sweat was trailing down her face, and she was pretty sure she had horse manure in places horse manure shouldn't be. She'd take a bath afterwards, get clean, before taking a nap to be fresh to enjoy an afternoon with the horses where Regina was going to have lessons. "Phew," she breathed, dropping the shovel to the ground.

A soft whinny was heard behind her, and Emma practically jumped into the air in surprise – she'd completely forgotten that Daniel had not taken the sand-coloured horse outside with the others, simply because it kept misbehaving. Emma placed a hand on her chest and turned around to stare at the mischievous animal in the stall behind her. It almost seemed like he was… grinning?

"You're such a troublemaker," she whispered, and she was brave enough to reach a hand out to attempt to touch his muzzle. She'd gotten a lot braver with Rocinante by now, but this horse was still a mystery to her. "But you're… you're just stubborn, aren't ya'?" she whispered, and the horse nudged her slightly, clearly enjoying her tentative touch. "You're just like my old Bug," she told him in a soft voice, surprising even herself, "you do whatever you please, when you please, huh?"

The horse whinnied again, showing his teeth and shaking his head.

Emma couldn't help but laugh. "So you agree with that, huh? You're a stubborn bug?" She paused, tongue poking out to wet her lips as she regarded the sandy fur and the longer, brown hair between his ear. "Maybe I should name you that, huh Bug?" she questioned, and the horse's ears turned around quickly, listening to her voice. "You like that, yeah? Bug?"

The horse whinnied, and Emma grinned as she grabbed her shovel again. "You're most definitely a Bug. Nice one, Bug," she repeated, and there was something about the feisty, teasing horse that just spoke to Emma's free spirit despite the fact that she'd never been around horses before.

Turning to muck the stall next to Bug's, Emma gave a gasp of surprise when she found none other than Mrs. Mills standing there, watching her, with a mildly disgusted look on her face.

"Talking to the horses, Miss Swan?" she all but sneered.

Emma leaned herself against the shovel. "Yeah, uhm, yes, Mrs. Mills," Emma quickly corrected herself and stood up straighter, so the shovel didn't support her weight after all. "It's Bug. I am starting to train him, I think."

Mrs. Mills arched an eyebrow. "Wonderful," she replied, but she didn't sound like it was wonderful at all. "Miss Swan, it has come to my attention that my daughter has grown quite a…" she paused, words dancing on the tip of her tongue as she watched Emma with a cold stare, "a fondness… of you."

"Yes, we've been – we've been hanging out, I guess?" Emma replied. She knew she should probably present herself better in front of her employer – especially _this_ employer – but she was kind of too taken aback to do so.

"Hanging out?" Mrs. Mills asked, unamused.

Emma nodded. "Spending time together. With the horses, of course." Mrs. Mills didn't need to know about the picnic they had together last week, and she didn't need to know about the fact that Regina snuck out after dinner to see her behind the stables.

Mrs. Mills replied, "Of course." She looked around the stable, eyes dismissive and head held high, and Emma wanted to question her why she was even there to begin with, snark at her _what do you even want?_ but she had heard enough about Mrs. Mills to know that that was not going to go down well. Besides, Emma quite wanted to keep her job at the Mills mansion, so disrespecting the missus was probably not the way to go. "Regardless," she said, as her eyes landed back on Emma, "you should probably know, Miss Swan, that I do not appreciate Regina disobeying me and skipping out on her lessons."

"Regina doesn't skip her lessons," Emma said with a frown. Despite the fact that Regina loathed some of her lessons, she never dared skip them.

Raising an eyebrow, Mrs. Mills continued, "Hmm."

Emma said, "I promise she does not, Mrs. Mills."

"Regina doesn't know what's best for her," Mrs. Mills said as she took a step closer to Emma. The young girl thought that she looked ridiculous, standing in the stable dressed in her big, fluffy dress, but she bit her lip and kept that thought to herself. "I have high hopes for my daughter, Miss Swan. She's going to be Queen one day, did you know that?"

With a frown, Emma said, "Regina has mentioned that, yes." Apparently it didn't matter to Mrs. Mills what Regina desired at all, because she had not once told Emma that she, herself, wished to be Queen someday.

A small, thin smile played at the corners of Mrs. Mills' mouth; clearly she was amused by this situation. "So, do you, Miss Swan, do you see why Regina cannot waste her precious time gallivanting around with a stable girl?"

Emma furrowed her brow. "I-"

"Do you see why she has to focus on her lessons and not her foolish hobby with these horses?" She motioned towards Bug behind Emma, brushing the horses off as simply nothing, even though Regina loved them with all of her heart. "And there's nothing I wouldn't do for my daughter, Miss Swan," she added. Her voice was low, threatening.

The air in the stable was suddenly cold, and Emma's fingers squeezed around the wooden handle on the shovel.

Mrs. Mills continued, undeterred, "And that includes making tough decisions for her. Which means that I will have no qualms getting rid of you, if I see so fit. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Emma was pretty sure she understood everything that Mrs. Mills was saying. "I will not keep Regina from her lessons," Emma forced out through gritted teeth. Every part of her wanted to fight Mrs. Mills on this; wanted to wipe that smirk off her face, bite back at her like she had done countless foster parents and social workers in the past. But something made her keep it inside this time. She wasn't sure if it was the image of Regina in her mind or the fact that Mrs. Mills oozed fear and dominance. Emma still wasn't sure what those red marks on Regina's skin had been, but if they were, in fact, made by Mrs. Mills like she suspected, she didn't want to give the older woman more intent to hurt Regina.

"Good." Mrs. Mills determined; the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes crinkled. "It seems like we understand each other."

With a loud swallow, Emma said, "It seems like we do." Her body was thrumming with anger; it soared through her veins so vividly that Emma could practically feel her body buzzing. She was itching to do something, to lash out, to react, but she kept it inside even though it ran through her like wildfire. Her hands twitched, but she simply regarded the other woman with a blank expression, while everything ran wild inside of her.

Mrs. Mills watched her for a few seconds more. Her eyes ran over Emma's form; dirty with manure, filth and so much more, and as much as Emma wanted to cover, to hide behind Bug, she stood tall, facing this woman in the only way she knew how – with sheer determination. Mrs. Mills raised a hand at that; with a quirk of her lip, she spun it around and disappeared from in front of Emma in a puff of indigo smoke.

Emma felt her eye bulge out. "What-?"

The smoke dissipated around her, fading into nothing as Emma stared at the place where Mrs. Mills had just been, and where there now was nothing but the old, regular stable. She turned around to look at Bug, who appeared unbothered, and simply stared at her with dark eyes.

"Did ya' see that?" Emma asked him in a low murmur, as she hooked a thumb over her shoulder to motion towards where Mrs. Mills had just been. She _knew_ she had been told that magic was real, but she had _not_ experienced it before, and for some reason – seeing someone poof away in a fog of smoke – it really freaked her out. Magic _was_ real, just as everyone had said, and Emma was starting to see that Daniel was right when he said that Mrs. Mills had powers and could quite literally do all the things she threatened to do.

Bug whinnied loudly and puffed out air, and Emma reached a hand out to scratch him gently between the eyes. Her heart was beating madly in her chest, and she felt like the air vibrated with something undefinable. Probably magic, probably the essence of whatever Mrs. Mills had used to poof away like that.

"This place, Bug," Emma whispered as she stared at him softly, "it's definitely something, isn't it?"

—

Emma was submerged in bathing water, just her head sticking out, as the morning's hard work washed off of her. It was scalding hot – done on purpose, as she had boiled everything patiently, needing to relieve her sore muscles – and she closed her eyes and savoured the warmth. Most days she cleaned herself off with a washcloth, so it wasn't often that she allowed herself to sit in the water like this.

When she had undressed herself, she had been surprised to see how big her baby bump had gotten. It wasn't huge by any means, but it had definitely grown, and Emma felt that it was a reassurance; her baby appeared to be fine and growing as it should, but it was also frustrating, because it reminded her that time was going rapidly fast, and that her sanctuary with Regina, Daniel and the horses was fleeting and would eventually end.

"I promise I'll figure it out, little bean," she murmured and rubbed the belly affectionately beneath the water. She couldn't always wrap her head around the fact that had she been back home, she probably would have ended up giving birth in prison, and then what would have happened to the kid? She was pretty sure that she would have had to give it up for adoption or something – and just the mere thought of that broke Emma's heart, because she was attached to this kid growing inside of her now; determined to make a home for it and herself somehow.

The door to the washroom was pushed open, and Tamara peeked inside. A smile erupted on her face when her eyes landed on Emma. "Swan," she said and stepped inside. She was dressed down; clearly on a break, and she had the same book as always tucked beneath her armpit. "There you are."

Emma beamed at her; she was still a bit wary around the other girl, but generally she got along great with her. "Yeah, I just needed… to bathe," she lamely replied. She awkwardly adjusted her arms to cover her belly and further down, but Tamara appeared unbothered as she stepped further into the room and closed the door behind her.

"You were taking forever," she replied with a little shrug. "I need help with one of the words – can you read it for me?" She was unapologetic and eager to learn, and Emma had taken the challenge to heart, helping her whenever she needed it.

"Come here," Emma said and nudged her head.

Tamara grinned and crouched down next to the bath, eagerly opening up her book and leafing through the pages. "It's my dad's journal, you know," she explained, "I received it by carrier from back home, and I've been trying to – to read more about his life."

Emma knew that Tamara worked for the Mills family because her father was ill and therefore could not work to support his family. Her chamber-mate sent almost all her earnings back home to them, and she often told Emma stories about her childhood in the Southern regions. "There's lots of recipes, huh?"

"Those I can read," Tamara said, and she came to a halt, carefully turning the journal around to show Emma what she wanted, "but this is… this is difficult. It's about his childhood."

"What's the first word causing you troubles?"

Tamara pointed. "That one there."

"Oh," Emma said, eyes settling on the scribbled word; the penmanship was as difficult to read as usual, but she could easily make out the word that was causing her chamber-mate difficulties. "That says 'phlegm'," she replied, saying the word carefully. She eyed Tamara quizzically, "What's this passage about?"

Tamara laughed as she pulled the book back. "How he was sick when he was eight."

Emma laughed too. "That makes sense then!"

And they grinned at each other for a few moments, before they were pulled apart by the door opening once more. Emma shifted slightly, and the water sloshed over the sides, but she quickly recognised the dark hair and brown eyes through the small crack of the door. Regina had come to find her.

"Emma," the younger girl greeted as she slipped into the washroom. She froze however, when her eyes landed on Tamara and the entire scene in front of her. Something unreadable flashed across her face. "What's going on here?"

"Emma's bathing and helping me read," Tamara easily said as she held up her father's journal. The scene probably looked a bit weird from Regina's point of view, and Emma wondered if she was okay with two females being close like this. It definitely seemed like the image had set her on edge.

"Oh." Regina swallowed loudly, dark eyes trailing over Emma's form, and Emma shifted slightly, suddenly self-conscious in a way she hadn't been before when it was just Tamara. "I'll just wait outside then," Regina added, tentatively, and she reached for the door handle again, moving to leave the room.

Tamara sprang into action at that. "No!" she quickly said and shuffled off the floor, almost falling in her long dress. "My shift starts soon, and you should be able to talk to your stable girl whenever you please, Miss." She bent her head and swiftly moved past Regina and through the door. Tamara was a handmaiden through and through, and she and Regina might have a good relationship that wasn't usual between a server and their missus, but she was still her employee.

Regina's gaze landed on Emma once more as the door clicked shut behind Tamara. "I searched for you at the stables, but Daniel said you had gone to clean up."

"Yeah," Emma replied as she glanced into the bathwater. Her belly wasn't visible, but her breasts hovered dangerously near the surface of the water. Was she just imagining Regina's warm eyes on them? Probably. "I got real dirty today. Bug sneezed on me."

"Bug?" Regina moved across the floor and gently crouched down next to the tub – very similarly to the way Tamara had just been sitting.

Emma grinned. "Yeah! The sandy horse. I named him. I think he likes me."

Regina laughed at her, fond and amused, and she ran a finger through the water, dangerously close to Emma's naked chest. "I apologise if I ruined a moment between you and Tamara. I did not mean to do that."

Her voice was stiff and uncertain, and Emma didn't like that she was the cause of that. "No worries," she brushed it off. "I'm seriously just helping her read her dad's journal. She never learned how."

Nodding timidly, Regina dropped her hand to her lap again and said, "I believed we were meant to ride together today? Perhaps you can attempt to train your Bug."

With a groan, Emma said, "Yeah… I think I need to take things slow with him. But I do want to ride with you. I just really needed to get clean first." She reddened slightly, but made a joke to brush it off, "I didn't think you'd appreciate the smell of horse manure on me."

Regina whispered, "I always enjoy the smell of you. Even with horse manure. I just wanna spend time together when we can."

Emma was pretty sure that Regina meant that in the most possible innocent way, but it still sent a flush throughout Emma's body, because she had never once been someone other people prioritised spending time with. Never as a kid, and definitely not as a teenager. "Well, I always wanna spend time together with you too," Emma shyly replied, and she ducked her head to the side, not wanting to meet Regina's eyes.

The brunette appeared just as shy. "That pleases me so," she whispered, and when Emma dared turn her eyes again, Regina was watching her with the softest expression ever.

"I just need to get dry and dressed," Emma said next, tentatively reaching a hand out to brush it, wet and warm, across Regina's. "You can go and start up with Daniel, and then I'll be there. I promise."

Regina's lips curled into a beautiful smile, and she pulled herself off the ground swiftly. "You better," she teasingly said, before she scurried out of the room, no doubt in a hurry to get back to her beloved horses.

—

Two nights after that, Regina, Emma and Daniel snuck out around midnight. It was a full moon, and Regina had casually mentioned at least _five_ times that day that it was supposed to be clear skies and perfect for stargazing. Emma toyed with the idea of setting something up behind the stables, and eventually Daniel had simply suggested _why don't we surprise her_ and after that, Emma's mind had gone off.

"Are you sure, this is wise?" Mulan asked her coolly as she was handed a flask of cherry juice, two cups, and dates in a small basket. "I mean, I'm all for helping you and everything, but if Mrs. Mills finds out, you're out of here before you can even pack your bags. Assuming you have any."

"I don't." Emma had a sneaking suspicion that Mulan might be reading more into this than was really the case. "Regina just wanted to see the stars. Daniel is sneaking her out of the house as we speak."

Mulan arched an eyebrow. "Daniel's invited to this? Then you better get another cup." She ducked into the kitchen again, and the door barely managed to stop swinging, before she was back in the hallway, stuffing another cup into the small basket. "There. I must have misunderstood."

"Yeah," Emma said and stuck her tongue out at her, "you must have."

"See you tomorrow," Mulan grinned, before she silently rushed down the hallway towards her own room. Emma watched her go with narrowed eyes, and couldn't help but wish – as much as she liked Daniel in a big brotherly kind of way – that he wasn't coming along tonight. But they were all friends, weren't they? Emma thought so.

When she arrived behind the stables, Regina and Daniel were already set up, chatting animatedly about the clear, dark skies and the full moon that shone brightly.

"Emma!" Regina greeted her happily, and she pulled Emma towards her by the hand, letting her dump down on the blankets she, herself, had meticulously spread out thirty minutes earlier as she got everything ready for Regina. "This is so wonderful! Come see the stars with us."

Daniel was spread out on the ground lazily, his hands folded behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles. "We're tracing out constellations. Do you know of any?"

Emma glanced up at the dark sky above her, littered with small glistening dots, but everything about it looked unfamiliar and strange. "I don't think I know any of _those_ constellations," she mused. "We have, like, the Big Bear, Andromeda. You know? Canis Major?" She stared at her two friends who both gaped at her, amused. "No?"

"They are not called that here," Regina said and gently nudged Emma with her shoulder, before reaching her hand out and stretching her finger upwards. "That right there? That is the Big Wolf, and over there…" She trailed her finger across the sky, "That is the Barrel."

Daniel stretched one hand out, stroking Regina on the arm. "Can I have a snack?"

Regina hummed and reached into the basket for a handful of dates. She smiled warmly at Daniel as she dumped them onto his chest with a teasing twist of the hand. "You look tired tonight," she commented, and she popped one of the dates into his mouth for him so he didn't have to move, before picking one up for herself and taking a bite of it.

With a grin, Daniel said, " _Someone_ ditched me to take a bath today. I had to work harder."

Emma made and offended noise and reached past Regina to smack him lightly on the thigh. "Hey!" she warned him.

Daniel stuck his tongue out at her. "You're good, Swan," he teased, chewing loudly on his date.

Regina shook her head at them, fond. "You two are such children. Be nice to Emma, Daniel," she tutted, before she reached into the basket to get the flask at the tree cups. "Besides, you told her to clean up, so I don't want to hear a complaint from you."

"The smell was simply too much," Daniel continued to joke, and he funnily pinched his own nose and waved his hand, as if to ward off flies.

"Emma smells wonderfully," Regina firmly said, and there was a second where she froze – probably realising that she'd said her thoughts out loud – before she continued to pour herself a cup of cherry juice. "What I meant to say is – she could smell a lot worse."

Emma thought that Regina smelled like apples and cinnamon, and absolutely everything wonderful, but she was never going to say that aloud. "I needed that bath," she replied and she mouthed a small _thank you_ at Regina who handed her a cup with the red liquid. "So, stargazing?" she questioned as she took a sip.

"Stargazing," Regina confirmed, and they both lied down on the blankets too; Regina reaching for another spare one to tuck over herself and Emma. Daniel was dressed in warmer clothes than them, and he appeared to be fine, so when Regina tucked herself closer to Emma, their bodies warm and touching in wonderful ways, Emma didn't say anything. She simply let Regina explain the different constellations, and gaped at the full moon, imagining what kinds of creatures could come out to play in this world when the moon was like that.

It didn't take more than fifteen minutes, before Daniel was snoring loudly next to them; his mouth was hanging open, and his hat was tucked over his eyes, and Regina motioned for Emma to move slightly over. She followed Emma's body like a kitten would its mother, thus leaving some space between them and Daniel who appeared to be more than just tired after a long work day.

"He's so kind to me," Regina whispered into Emma's ear. Her breath ghosted across the sensitive skin there, and Emma felt herself shutter. Good thing it was so cold outside, because she could blame the motion on that. "I don't know what would have become of me without him here. And now you," she softly wondered, and when Emma tilted her head downwards, Regina was already gazing up at her through hooded lids, "It seems like my prayers might have been answered after all."

Emma swallowed loudly. "You prayed?"

Regina's brow furrowed. "Oh, I'm not religious. I believe in magic. But I hoped – I hoped every day for a friend, for someone to come and brighten my world. Then came Daniel, and as if that wasn't kind enough – you came, too." She let a finger trail across Emma's chin, blunt nail scratching slightly as she did. "I think you were always meant to be my friend."

Emma's voice was barely a whisper when she replied to the brunette. "Maybe. I don't know that I was meant to be anything…" Her lips were thin, teeth digging into the bottom one. "To me, this place…" she trailed off, not quite daring to meet Regina's eyes, "this place – _you –_ was that for me, too, y'know? Something new, something that gave me another chance to start over, I guess."

There was a silence for a few moments while Emma still refused to meet Regina's eyes, but she could feel the gaze on her anyway. "You needed to start over? Why?"

Many things were still left unsaid between them, and Emma wasn't sure if she was ready to share her sad childhood and her sordid past, but Regina seemed so concerned about her, about her previous life, and she wanted to give the other girl something to hold on to. "I didn't really…" she paused, on a search for the right words, "I didn't really have much of a life where I came from, yeah? I – I'm not _missing_ anything in the Land Without Magic. I have so many things here that make sense to me instead."

Regina's fingers trailed from Emma's chin and down her chest to crawl beneath the blanket and warmly stroke her arm instead. Soothing, caring, fond. "But-" Her voice was light and youthful as she queried, "-don't you have someone to get back to?"

It appeared that the question had burned on her lips for the past few days as they got to know each other better; as Emma learned so many things about Regina's life and her family, yet didn't share anything personal, only stories about the realm and how things worked there. Regina was curious to know her better – which was understandable – but there was some things, the little bean included, that Emma was not ready to share with her yet.

"I… I don't," Emma honestly whispered, and finally, she lowered her gaze to meet Regina's soulful eyes. They shone beautifully in the starlight, and Emma wanted to kiss the space between her eyebrows. "I don't have anything to get back to, Regina," she added, and it finally hit her right then and there: She really didn't. There was no one who missed her, no one who even wondered what had happened to Emma Swan. She was Nobody.

"Not… not anyone?" Fingers clenched painfully around her wrist.

Emma shook her head softly, and she was smiling, regardless. "I don't matter to anyone, Regina," she breathed.

Regina locked their eyes. She had a determined jut to her chin, and she said, "You matter to me, Emma."

A breath of air rushed out of her lungs at that, and Emma had to bite back the rush of emotion that overcame her, because never had anybody looked at her in that way and said such kind words to her. She didn't even doubt that it was the truth. "I know," she whispered, and she tucked Regina closer to her chest, letting the younger girl's head rest in the nook of her throat. She placed a careful kiss to her hair, light and breathless, and her heart was thrumming so wonderfully inside of her chest.

It scared her for a second, because she could only remember two other times in her life when her chest had felt this painfully fond; when her pulse had quickened by a mere touch or a smile; when she had wanted to be close to another person _all the time._ It was back when she'd first met Lily, later Neal.

Emma was very afraid that she was starting to grow feelings for her employer's daughter, and despite the fact that Regina was positively the most wonderful person she had ever met, she was very sure that it was _not_ going to end well. Despite that, she clutched Regina closer to her chest, breathed in the scent that she had come to enjoy so much, and simply decided to savour this quiet moment.

* * *

A/N. I promise this story will pick up its pace soon, but I also wanted to give these two time to grow closer.


	7. Chapter Seven

A/N: I apologise for any mistakes in this chapter, I am still unwell and my brain is not working its usual speed. Trigger warning for this chapter: Cora is being a lot like Cora i.e. there is abuse towards the end of this chapter. Not overly descriptive, but it is definitely there.

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVEN**

The quill hovered above the parchment as Regina paused, her attention once more caught by the movement in the paddock outside; just in her line of sight. Ink dripped from the tip of the quill, the room eerily quiet as her dark eyes followed the path of two figures – one with bright, blonde hair; another with shorter, darker hair – surrounded by moving, colourful masses dancing around them. She breathed in, longed to be down there, enjoying the midday sun with her horse and her two best friends.

They were so far away, but she could tell that they were laughing. Daniel had his arm around Emma's shoulders, and Emma beamed up at him. Regina couldn't really tell their expressions from this distance, but she could tell that they were happy. Meanwhile, she was stuck inside her study room, reading and writing; learning whatever her mother had deemed important this day.

Regina's breath hitched as she saw Emma attempt to get a bridle on Bug. The horse whinnied and shook his head, clearly displeased with trying to be controlled, but Emma didn't waver; she placed a calming hand to his muzzle and evidently spoke quietly to him. Daniel was dressing Rocinante, and Regina's heart ached; wanting, wishing, longing.

"Princess?"

The sound of her father's deep voice pulled Regina out of her thoughts, and she turned her head to the side, smiling when she saw her father standing there, holding a tray with a small kettle and two cups of tea. "Daddy," she greeted him, placing the quill back in its holder.

Henry stepped closer. "And what seems to have caught your attention this midday," he mused as he carefully placed the tray on her desk and glanced out of the window. "Ah," he said, fond, "Miss Swan and Mr. Colter, I see,"

"Sorry, Daddy," Regina murmured, wistful as ever. She reached for one of the cups and placed it between her hands, warming them. "This ancient scroll just bores me so, and I long to be in the paddock with the horses and my friends."

With a sigh, Henry took a seat on the spare chair across from her, resting his hands on his slight belly. "I understand, Princess," he promised her with a tentative smile, "but you know your mother. Studies are important."

Regina bent her head and took a small sip of the tea. "I know," she replied, sighing dramatically.

Henry's eyes shone when he said, "But you are enjoying their company? Both Miss Swan's and Mr. Colter's?"

"Very much so," Regina quickly assured him, eager to share just how much _fun_ she was having with both Daniel and Emma. She was sure that her mother would never understand, but Daddy… Daddy was kind, and he would see the same good things in her friends that she saw. Especially in Emma. Emma was… special. Regina had never met or heard of anyone like her before. "Daniel is wonderful with the horses," she said to him as her gaze once more landed on the movement outside, "and Emma… Emma is just… _wonderful_." She didn't know how else to describe it.

"How so?" Henry wished to know.

Regina sipped her tea and thought it over for a few seconds. "Emma is different from anyone I have ever known before, and she teaches me things – _exciting things!_ " Regina sighed happily, eyes following the mop of blonde hair as Emma chased around the whirlwind of a horse Regina had convinced her father to buy. "She tells me stories of the Land Without Magic, and she understands things about me, Daddy, things no one has ever understood in my _life_. She – she makes me feel special. Kind of like you."

Henry watched her with mysteriously shining eyes, and a small smile on his lips. "Mija," he said, and he bent forward to tuck one of her hands into his bigger ones; something that had always made her feel safe and cared for. "It makes me so happy to hear that you have met her then." He pulled his hand back and reached for his own cup of tea. He was watching her carefully, regarding her, and Regina wasn't sure what was going through his mind, because she had never seem him look at her like that before.

"Me too, Daddy," Regina whispered, sipping the scalding herbal tea carefully, "me too."

They were silent for moments after that; Regina's eyes sought the window again of their own volition, and she watched Bug dance in circles around a clearly frustrated Emma who – even so – appeared to be having the time of her life. She was laughing, and the sun hit her blonde hair just so, and Regina wished to run her fingers through it, to feel how soft and wavy it might be. She remembered, fond, the day she had braided Emma's hair in Daniel's room; how surprising it had been to feel another girl so close to her.

Regina found, she was longing to have Emma close to her a lot these days, but she just wasn't sure what that meant.

Henry sighed loudly, and it was only when Regina returned her attention to him that she realised he was watching her carefully, eyes warm and careful, his mouth quirking into a smile. It was also then that she realised that he had placed a formal, white envelope on the table between them. The lettering on the front of the envelope was gold and cursive, writing out _Regina Mills_ prettily. The crest was that of Maldonia. Regina recognised it instantly, having been cordially invited to many a ball there

"This arrived earlier today," Henry told her, as she tentatively reached a hand across the table to grab the envelope. "It is from Princess Tiana. She is hosting a ball for her 14th birthday. A big event."

Regina tucked at the label and carefully slid the invitation out. It was, indeed, an invitation to Princess Tiana's birthday ball; fourteen was an important number for most royals and noble people. "It's in thirty days time."

Henry nodded and folded his hands around his cup again. "Indeed it is. I reckon Princess Abigail will be there as well. You two usually get along swimmingly."

Jutting out her chin, Regina cast another longing glance down at the paddock once more. "You know the royal girls are not for me, Daddy."

There was a hum, and Henry said, "I know, Princess. But your mother wishes you attend this. It is an important day for creating connections and meeting princes from all the kingdoms."

Regina watched as Emma fell on her butt in the mud, and instead of crying and being upset about it, she laughed it off, and as Daniel moved to help her up, she pulled him down as well, instead of letting him fulfil his intent. Regina's heart ached. Here she was, getting invitations to balls. She was _never_ going to be as them. "I don't want to go, Daddy. The Princesses only talk about the Princes and their gowns. It bores me so."

Henry's eyes studied her carefully, regarding her tiniest expression. "Mija," he sighed. "I wish we could compromise on this. We don't want to anger your mother, do we? Can we not just accept this?"

"If I'm going," Regina said, defiant towards her mother as she only dared be in front of her father when Cora wasn't there. "-then I want Emma to accompany me by horse. No stuffy handmaidens, and certainly not mother." She folded the invitation at that and tucked it neatly onto the tray, challenging her father's gaze with determination. If she was going to travel across Misthaven to attend a boring ball, she wanted to do it with Emma by her side.

"Querida…" Henry begun, but he trailed off before he managed to add something more.

"No, Daddy," Regina said and folded her hands in her lap. "I'll be good, if I go like that. I'll even talk to the boring princes, and play nice with the royals. Just let me bring Emma along for the ride."

Henry sighed, but a small smile played on his lips. "Alright, I suppose we can agree on that."

Regina had not been sure that she would be able to convince her father of this (especially because he was the one who had to convince Mother afterward), but she let out a decidedly unladylike squeal in excitement. "Thank you, Daddy!" she cheered and hurried around the table to kiss his cheek lovingly and give him a hug. "You're the best. I'm such a fan of you."

Pulling back from her, Henry offered her a confused look. "You're a what?"

"A fan of you," Regina lovingly explained as she wiped his cheek with the pad of her thumb. A small amount of her lipgloss had remained there. "It's… it's something Emma says. From the Land Without Magic."

Henry furrowed his brow. "A fan of," he repeated, tasting the words on his tongue.

"It means I care for you a lot," Regina continued, before she pressed a final kiss to the top of his head and moved to return to her seat. Her father's hand on her elbow stopped her, however, and she turned around to smile down at him. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Tamara is waiting for you in your chambers. She will help you dress for the stables and see to your hair," he explained.

Regina bit her lip. "But the studies…"

Henry's eyes shone. "They will still be there by tomorrow. Go see your friends."

"I love you, Daddy," Regina whispered and pressed yet another kiss to his face and hurried out of the study room. She didn't run before she was sure that the door was closed firmly behind her, but as she did, she was pretty sure she heard her father's booming laughter following her anyway.

—

"Tamara?" Regina softly queried.

"Yes, Miss?" Tamara replied easily, not looking up from what her fingers were doing; making an intricate pattern of Regina's long locks, crisscrossing, twisting and tying them.

Regina stared at her through the mirror. Her eyes were focused as she concentrated on dividing the hair, and Regina fidgeted slightly against the chair. She was already dressed in her riding clothes and boots; just the hair needed finishing and then she could be off to see Emma and Daniel. She just wasn't sure if- "Do you spend a lot of time with Emma?" It just slipped out of her, quickly, before she had time to reconsider.

Tamara didn't even flinch. "We share a chamber, Miss," she replied easily. She reached for a hairband on the vanity, tucking it between her fingers.

Worrying her lower lip with her teeth, Regina paused for a second before answering. "Yes, I know that, but…" She paused, well-aware that she really ought to not be asking these questions, but she simply couldn't help herself. "Outside of… your chambers? Do you do things?"

"Emma's helping me read, Miss," Tamara replied as she finished off the braid. She was always timid and meek whenever she was on duty, and right now she was. So unlike the Tamara that Regina had a feeling she could be at other times. "Now you are done."

"I know that," Regina replied in a murmur as she stood up, glancing at her braid in the mirror. "Just… forget that I asked, Tamara. And thank you."

Tamara stepped backwards with a stiff smile. "You're welcome, Miss."

Regina moved past her and toward the door, eager to get outside before the sun set completely and Mother returned back to the estate to bark out orders for her. She paused, however, by the door and turned around to look at Tamara once more. The older girl was standing stiffly, back ramrod straight and with her hands neatly folded in front of her. Regina opened her mouth to say something – she just wasn't sure what.

"Yes, Miss?" Tamara spoke up next, dark eyes curious.

"You're excused for today," Regina heard herself say, before she was even aware that she was truly saying it. "Go back to your chamber, get some rest and practice your reading. I'll undress myself later."

Tamara's eyes flickered nervously. "Are you sure, Miss?"

Regina nodded curly. "Certain," she replied, before she pushed the door open and left her chamber, moving quickly down the hallway before she thought of something else she might say or do that would anger Mother.

When she stepped out into the courtyard, she breathed in the fresh air of spring, relished the sunbeams on her face and thoroughly _enjoyed_ being dressed in her riding jacket- and boots; something that gave her more comfort than anything. The rain that had poured over them yesterday still made everything smell fresh and wonderful, and the pools of mud around the paddock had to present a challenge for Emma and Daniel with the horses. But Regina didn't mind – she _loved_ riding the horses through puddles; she loved the splatter and the scent. She loved everything about it.

She smiled into the sunlight and took off running towards the paddock with a giddiness she hardly felt for anything anymore. It was odd, the way she the horses, Emma and Daniel gave her a joy that she could hardly contain. She could almost not remember how things had been like before Daniel, especially not before Emma who had just entered her life and turned everything upside-down in one swift motion. Regina wished her father could understand – could see – what it was about Emma, but it was too difficult to make sense of.

"Regina!" Daniel greeted her lovingly, pulling her into a small hug as she climbed over the paddock. "You're here early today."

"Daddy let me go," Regina breathed as she pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "Where's Emma?"

"Inside," Daniel laughed as he tilted his head. "Attempting to clean off Bug. It's a challenge."

Regina beamed. "I'm sure she'll have him handled in no time." And then she was off; running from Daniel and into the stable with its wide open doors and Emma's laughter reaching her ears. The sight that caught her eyes was one of pure laughter, too; Emma was now attempting to wash mud off of Bug's body. He was covered in the sticky substance, and Regina had him suspected of rolling around in it. "Emma," Regina breathed, and the blonde jumped about two feet into the air in surprise.

"Holy shit, Regina!" she said. Her face appeared sweaty, and there were splatters of mud all over her form, but her hand came to rest quickly on the lower part of her abdomen as she breathed out. "I didn't hear you."

Quizzically, Regina stepped closer as she eyed Emma's movement. "I apologise," she murmured. She couldn't quite keep the bubbling happiness at bay, because she was just that pleased to finally be standing across from Emma after a _day_ of wanting nothing but. "May I give you a hand?"

"Yes, you _may,"_ Emma teased her and did a horrible curtsy.

Regina laughed and stepped closer. She gave Emma a sideways hug; pulling the blonde closer, she snuggled into her side and breathed in the scent that was so inexplicably her: Horses, dirt, rain and something _so_ Emma Swan that Regina was getting quite addicted to and was most definitely a fan of. She held her for seconds longer than she'd ever held anyone but her father, and it seemed like everything around them stood still for just a moment. There was a bubble, and they were inside of it. Regina and Emma. Everything around them disappeared. Regina's heart expanded. It grew, filled with Emma, and that wholesome Emma-ness that took Regina completely off guard every time she was near her. She closed her eyes, for just a moment, not quite sure she entirely understood what it was that was happening to her. Heart flutters, back shutters — Emma was just _wonderful._

Emma pulled back with a gentle squeeze to her arm. "Hey, what are all those cuddles for?"

"I just-" Regina locked her eyes to Emma's, reluctantly letting go, "-I've missed you."

A faint blush rose up Emma's cheeks at that, and she diverted her eyes. "You can cuddle me any time," she said. There was a slight shrug, and her attention was back on Bug; hand running over his back as she brushed cakes of mud off of him.

Regina bit her lip and moved to the other side. She didn't want to say more to make Emma nervous or shy, so instead she turned her attention to Bug's needs and decided to work in silence. Emma was different like that, Regina had learned; not good at taking a compliment, and definitely not good at receiving affection. Regina wasn't so sure that she, herself, would have been that good either, if it wasn't for her Daddy who had shown her how. She thought she could probably show Emma, too, perhaps. If the blonde let her. _Which it may just seem like she will,_ Regina mused _._

They worked in silence after that, only talking occasionally to request a brush or a piece of cloth. Their fingers brushed on several occasions, and the first time, Regina gasped and retracted her hand, but the time after that she she smiled at Emma and found her smiling shyly back at her instead. Regina did not have a clue as to what was happening and why Emma was acting so strangely at times, but she thought that Emma would probably let her know when she was ready to share.

Rocinante was cleaned off too, and Daniel took care of one of the other horses, before he retreated to the kitchens for dinner. Emma and Regina took their time; Regina was reluctant to finish because that meant that she would have to return to her chambers for the day and attend dinner with her parents. Emma just appeared to be happy where she was, and when the blonde dropped a bucket of dirty, muddy water all over the ground, it spilled over the sides and sloshed all over the floor and Regina's white riding pants, while the metal bucket clattered around.

"Fuck," Emma muttered as Regina jumped backwards to get out of the splash, and green eyes shot up, wide as saucers. She scrambled to grab the bucket again, probably to stop the noise, but when she did, she slipped on a brush, and-

"Emma, watch out!"

-fell towards the floor, arms flailing. Regina reached forward in an attempt to catch her before she hurt herself; her arms went around Emma's, fingers sliding, wrists turning, chests colliding, and suddenly they were on the ground together. Tangled, in one big mess of mud, hair, limbs and hay, they laid there together.

Emma squeaked out, "I'm sorry," beneath her breath, and Regina just stared at her for a second before she broke into a fit of giggles. Emma watched her – for only a moment – before she started laughing, too.

They laughed together for a while, clutching each other as the waves of chuckles ran over them. Regina hugged Emma to herself, and Bug stared down at them, completely unbothered. As their laughter died down, they settled onto the floor together, heaving chests and out of breath.

Emma stared at her, fond, and reached a hand out. "You've got hay in your hair," she whispered and plucked it out.

Regina blew at it, watched as it flew from Emma's fingers and towards the ground. "And you've got mud," she teased, trailing her finger from Emma's chin to her chest to her round belly, "aaaaaall over." She emphasised this by tickling her.

With a squeal, Emma brushed her off and interlocked their fingers, letting them rest, together, on top of Regina's stomach. "You've got mud all over, too." She scrunched up her nose, her fingers warm and moist in Regina's own.

Regina gave them a squeeze. "Would you look at that," she mused.

Emma sighed. "Is this…" She furrowed her brow as a mischievous glint played in her eye, and Regina knew that she was going to love what came out of her mouth next; she had learned to read her expressions well, and this one she was already quite familiar with. "…almost what they call a roll in the hay, except-?" She stopped talking, front teeth digging into her lower lip.

With a furrowed brow, Regina said, "A roll in the hay? What do you mean?" It was probably another of those expressions from the Land Without Magic that Regina had never heard of before, but she couldn't be too sure. Emma always said things like that.

"Never mind," Emma grinned, brushing it off as nothing, even though the colour of her cheeks and the glint in her eyes told Regina that it was most definitely not nothing.

Regina sighed. "I am about to miss dinner with my parents." Not that she minded all that much; she could lie with Emma on the dirty stable floor all evening and be quite alright.

Emma said, "We can't have that! Let's go!" She was off the ground quickly, pulling Regina with her and getting Bug into his stall with slightly panicky movements. Regina eyed her quizzically while she made quick work of him, all the while she, herself, undid Tamara's intricate braid with soiled fingers that had dirt beneath the nails. Emma was finished within five minutes. "Let's get you back," she confidently said, and she held out her hand, waiting for Regina to grasp it, before they took off running towards the main house; up the slight hill, across the courtyard and towards the giant double doors.

They sneaked inside, closed the doors behind them and crept down the hallway, all the while they tried to hold back their giggles. Regina was high on Emma's fingers around her own, and she felt more alive than she had done in all of her life. She'd _never_ been this dirty before in her life, and she already felt kind of bad for Tamara, because she was the one who'd have to clean her white riding pants off with no stains left behind. It was almost as bad as that time when she first started bleeding; it had taken her completely by surprise and once she returned from her riding lesson with the old caretaker at the stables, it had been one bloody mess down her sand coloured riding pants. Tamara had scrubbed and cleaned, and Regina had learned that something like that was going to happen once a month for her now that she was a woman. Her mother had not been helpful, but Tamara had told her; had said it happened to her as well, just as it happened to Emma, and- Regina paused. Emma had _never_ mentioned anything about needing anything though.

Regina's stomach clenched uncomfortably. Perhaps she had asked Tamara for help? That would probably be the logical thing to do.

She squeezed Emma's hand as they ran as silently as possible down the grand hallway. "Emma, do you bleed?"

"Do I what-?" Emma glanced at her, slightly out of breath and with sweat clinging to her temples.

"Bleed." Regina clarified, and they came to a halt. They were nowhere near Regina's chambers yet, but this was important. If Emma didn't know how, if she didn't have anyone to talk to. Regina wanted to be able to help her, for Emma to feel like Regina would help her, regardless of whether or not she was her employer's daughter. "Monthly. Do you bleed? Do you need help with anything? You know you can ask me, right?"

Emma stared at her. Another flush – this one prominent and a much deeper red than earlier – had risen up Emma's cheeks. " _Regina,_ " she hissed, but she didn't let go of Regina's hand. "Let's not talk about this right now, okay?"

"Oh-kay?" Regina questioned, staring at her in confusion.

"Not right now," Emma determined, and Regina was as ready as ever to just follow her older friend's lead, because it seemed like Emma knew a lot about a lot of things. "We gotta get you clean," she added for good measure, and Regina had to agree with her.

She motioned with her free hand down the hallway. "My chambers are that way," she explained, once she realised that she'd never snuck Emma inside those before. She had an inkling that Mother would not appreciate the help – other than Tamara of course – roaming about in there.

Emma said, "Good," and tugged at Regina's hand.

"Not so _quickly,_ Miss Swan."

Regina froze, able to recognise that voice everywhere. It was Mother – Mother had found them out, because they had been too busy discussing things rather than getting to her chamber. She turned around on the spot, and Emma was stiff as a board next to her. "Mother."

"Regina, Darling," Cora said and moved closer, trailing a displeased look down Regina's dirty clothes and the way her hair curled around her shoulders, unruly. "What is going on here?"

"I was with the horses today," Regina explained and smoothly dropped Emma's hand. She was pretty sure her mother noticed it though. "It rained yesterday, so I got dirty."

Cora tittered. "What did you do? Roll around in the paddock?"

Regina didn't know what to say to that.

"Miss Swan, I don't believe you have any reason to be inside these halls at the moment, is that correct?" Cora continued with a sneer.

Emma's mouth fell open. "Uhm. No, but I thought that-"

Cora cut her off, "You thought wrong, Miss Swan. You have nothing to do in here."

"Hey," Emma continued, green eyes lighting up with fire. "I was just gonna help Regina get clean. I wasn't gonna-"

"You don't get to speak," she said, and with a flick of her hand, Emma's golden locks had tied themselves around her head tightly, obstructing her possibility to talk. " _I_ speak now."

"Mother!" Regina wheezed, and at once she moved to loosen the hair around Emma's face. Emma, whose green eyes had turned wide in panic as she, herself, tried to pull at her hair with her fingers. Regina carefully tried to manoeuvre it down her chin, but it wasn't budging, and she groaned, afraid that she was pulling the hair straight out of Emma's head. "Stop it, Mother!" she begged as she turned back around, meeting her mother's humorous stare. "You're hurting her!"

Cora waved her hand, and at once the hair fell back around Emma's shoulders. "When I speak, you both listen, is that understood?"

Regina swallowed loudly. "Yes, Mother," she said, just as Emma grunted out a, "Yes, Mrs. Mills," next to her.

With a pleased scoff, Cora continued. "Very well. Now, Regina, Darling, you have missed dinner due to your lallygagging, so I shall request for you to clean off and head straight to bed, is that understood? Tamara will help you get clean." She glanced at Emma next, not awaiting an answer, "And Miss Swan. See to it that you return to your duties and stop disturbing my daughter in her studies."

With a wince, Regina quietly said, "I gave Tamara the afternoon off."

Cora froze and stared down at Regina. "You did what?"

"I gave Tamara the afternoon off," Regina bravely repeated, and she could practically feel Emma's panic coming off of her in waves next to her. "That was why Emma was going to join me. To help."

Emma nodded, trying desperately to not appear all too unfamiliar with this story.

With a hum, Cora eyed them both. "Is that so, hm? Very well. If Tamara can't help you, I'll just have to see to it myself. We certainly cannot have the _stable girl_ help you with your bathing. What wouldn't that look like?" She tittered and practically floated by Emma with a dismissive wave of the hand. "You're dismissed, Miss Swan," she said, "and Regina, Darling, you know my rules. Burning hot water for the skin. Mother will certainly be there every step of the way to make sure you get clean."

"Mother, no," Regina whispered, because she _remembered._ She remembered baths by her mother from when she was very little; getting scrubbed until her skin was red by an invisible force as her mother stood off to the side, with what felt like boiling water in the bath around her. She remembered how her mother would inspect every part of her growing body with disdain to make sure that she grew into a woman that could someday be Queen. She remembered, and she didn't _want_ to experience it again. She didn't want Mother to see her like that – without her clothes on, to, to see the hair between her thighs and the shape of her breasts. It was something that wasn't for Mother's eyes. "Mother, I can do it myself," she said.

But Cora didn't care what she said – just like she never had. Invisible restraints surged around Regina's body, and she was pulled down the hallway unwillingly by her mother's hand. She wanted to struggle, to put up a fight, but no matter how much she wriggled, she could not move.

"Hey, lady!" Emma argued, but as she took a step to follow them, she was blown backwards and landed square on her butt on the stone floors, while Cora laughed in front of them.

Regina mouthed _I'm sorry_ and said, "I'll see you tomorrow," and she let herself be dragged off, all the while she shamefully hung her head and tried to forget the way Emma's eyes had followed her; hopelessly, frighteningly, fondly.

Oh, so fondly.


	8. Chapter Eight

A/N. I know nothing about horses, and I apologise in advance for the terrible structure in this chapter.

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHT**

Emma was nervous about Regina, and she thought that there was a horribly long time until she was going to see her again the next afternoon. All day, she was distracted; from the second she woke up to chores in the stables she was counting down the hours until Regina was done with her lessons so she would come see them outside.

Emma could not forget the look of fear she had seen in Regina's eyes as Mrs. Mills had dragged off with her; dragged her off with some invisible force that Emma could not see, but could basically feel thrumming in the air of the cold corridor. She had seen Mrs. Mills' anger and the way it manifested itself through magic when she handled her daughter. Heck, she had even felt it on her own body when she was pushed backwards. Her fingers had itched so terribly, as if they wanted to reach out inherently, without thought or action by herself, to save Regina and pull her away from the monster that she was beginning to realise Mrs. Mills really was.

Regina had looked so small as she was pulled away; her sweet softness and the warmth that Emma had come to care so much for, it had all been wiped away so easily by Mrs. Mills. Emma could not begin to imagine what it must feel like to be micromanaged by one's mother the way Regina was; to have a parent that forced you to strip down naked in front of her, so she could scrutinise every inch of your body. It had to feel mortifying, and Regina had experienced it all last night.

Every time Emma thought about the look of loathing in Mrs. Mills' eyes, her fingers thrummed with excess energy, eager to get out, to retaliate, to hurt if that was what it took for Regina never to be treated like that again. Emma wasn't quite sure what to think about the fact that her hands were practically shaking as she dragged Bug along next to her, lost do deep into thought that she didn't even realise that Daniel was trying to talk to her from atop Rocinante.

"Emma," his sharp voice cut through, and Emma blinked, flipping her head to the side to see that he had turned himself and Rocinante around on the path in front of them, his confused gaze now on her.

They were exercising the horses near the meadows and the clusters of trees where Emma had first met Regina. Both Bug and Rocinante had needed to get away from the same old paddock, and Daniel had appeared pretty certain that Regina was not going to be there later to take Rocinante out herself.

"Yeah?" Emma questioned absentmindedly, fingers slippery on the reins that she was clutching tightly so Bug wouldn't take her by surprise and suddenly flee.

Daniel's gaze fell to the horse next to her. "What is he-? No. No, he can't eat that!"

The look of absolute panic on Daniel's face caused Emma to react instantly. She pulled Bug away from the bush he had poked his head into immediately, and as Daniel smoothly jumped off Rocinante and came running towards them, Emma pulled at the leftover leaves in Bug's mouth to get as much of them out as possible.

"How much did he eat!?" Daniel frantically yelped as he brushed back Bug's mane in concern.

Emma bit her lip. She hadn't exactly been paying attention.

"Emma, how much did he eat?" Daniel repeated himself. This time, his voice was sharper, and it felt like his blue eyes bore themselves into Emma's very soul.

"I don't-"

"Weren't you paying attention?" he sharply asked. "You're so distracted today. What's up with you?"

Emma didn't really want to get into a long explanation about what had happened with Regina and Mrs. Mills last night. Instead, she bit back frustrated tears and placed a hand to Bug's flank. "Is he gonna be okay?" she asked Daniel, at once not only worried about Bug's safety (because she had damn well started to care for the horse), but also about her own position as the stable girl, because who let the stable girl fuck up so royally as to (probably) poison a horse and still keep her on? She knew this happiness and security would be fleeting, she just knew – but she had gotten too comfortable. Too secure. Too happy there.

Daniel's look softened, and he pressed a kiss to Bug's muzzle. "That depends on how much he's eaten. This is raw bear claw, and too much can kill a horse." He turned around instantly and whistled, which caused Rocinante to react promptly and walk towards them. "We better get back."

Regina was going to be so disappointed with her. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, and she followed along helplessly as Daniel took charge and started dragging Bug quickly with him back to the stables. "I thought bear claw was edible. Mulan uses it in everything from the kitchens. I love it," she rattled off, because saying something, anything, was better than a frantic uncomfortable silence.

"Humans can eat it just fine," Daniel explained. At least he didn't look mad anymore, just worried. "But for horses it's pure poison. He's going to get sick, very sick."

Emma bit her lip, feeling guiltier than ever. Bug appeared to be fine just yet, but she trusted Daniel to know what was going to happen. "I'm sorry," she repeated, but Daniel said nothing, and they were back in the stables within ten minutes.

Emma let Rocinante run around in the paddock with the other horses, and they took Bug inside to give him some space. Daniel set Emma to work immediately, giving out orders, and it didn't take long before Bug was feeling the bear claw; he laid down in the stall with a soft whinny, and his skin was starting to feel very hot to the touch. Emma thought that she had probably never in her life felt as guilty as she did right now, and she fetched everything that Daniel ordered her to without complaint.

Cold sheets, water, hay, everything that a horse in need could use.

She eventually fell to her knees next to him, and Daniel worked at full speed at trying to soothe the horse, but he looked frantic, worried with panic, and he was also burning his energy up quickly. Regina showed up after dinner – word had gotten to her that one of the horses were sick, and when she arrived, she looked frightened, but also slightly relieved to see that it was not Rocinante.

"What happened?" she questioned as she paused near the stall. She didn't meet Emma's eyes, but looked straight at Daniel.

"Bear claw," Daniel murmured and ran a soothing hand down Bug's flank. "I'm afraid he won't make it even if we work through the night."

Emma's heartbeat sped up. "He has to make it," she whispered, and she tangled her own fingers in Bug's mane and nuzzled him. Daniel had not said those words to her earlier, and if he said them to Regina? Emma was afraid they were screwed.

Daniel sighed. "Yes, but the problem is keeping him cool, so he doesn't overheat. It's going to be a long night."

"Why don't you take turns?" Regina asked immediately, stepping into the stall swiftly. "You should go and sleep now. I'll stay here with Emma, and you can relieve her at midnight."

His eyes were quizzical as he glanced down at the horse, but Emma thought that he did look very exhausted. "Are you sure you can handle it?" he questioned in a low murmur, and he gazed up at Emma at that.

She wanted to make him proud, to show that she was a good stable girl, and Emma nodded. "I'll stay with him for now. You go sleep," she murmured. "That way you can get back here and be good to him. Refreshed." She nuzzled Bug's mane again, heart fond. "I won't mess up again, I promise."

Daniel offered her a weary smile. "I know," he said, sincere. And he reached a hand out to gently squeeze Emma's arm before he and Regina changed places; Daniel sliding out, and Regina sliding down, and soon after, Emma and her were squeezed together in the stall with Bug, shoulders brushing and a deeply sighing horse in front of them.

"It was my fault," Emma murmured, refusing to look at Regina. "I wasn't paying attention. He ate bear claw."

"You couldn't have known, you're still new here," Regina assured her softly. "I hope we can keep him cool enough. It's usually not so easy with horses and bear claw."

Emma's heart thundered madly in her chest. "I'm so sorry, Regina." She bit her lip. Her stomach was churning miserably, and she just wanted to go back in time and change what had happened. If only time travel was possible.

Regina was quiet for a few minutes. Her hand stroked relentlessly down Bug's body, and his head was nestled in her folded legs.

"Are you OK," Emma asked eventually. "I mean... after last night?"

A flicker of something painful ran across Regina's face. "Mother loves me," was her only reply, but she still didn't look at Emma, and Emma had a feeling it was not only because she was disappointed in her for failing Bug. "She does what she does... because she loves me."

Emma furrowed her brow. "Love isn't supposed to be like that." She might not know a lot about parents and love and family, but this she knew. She knew it wasn't meant to be controlling like the relationship between Regina and her mother.

"Emma..." Regina sighed deeply, chest moving out and then back in again as she slouched her shoulders. "Mother is- she means well," Regina settled on saying.

It didn't look like she meant well at all yesterday, but Emma bit her lip and lowered her gaze back on Bug. She placed a hand on his body, yearning with everything she had to take away his pain, his warmth, so he would feel better and be his mischievous, funny self. "I just don't think she should force you to do all the things she does," she revealed in a murmur.

Regina said, "Mother wants things for me, Emma. She wants me to accomplish a lot, to make her and Daddy proud. As long as she doesn't hurt you again, I don't mind it at all."

It sounded fake to Emma's ears, the way Regina rattled off excuses on her mother's behalf, trying to explain it as love and care, when it was pretty clear to the blonde that it had nothing to do with love. If it did, it sure was a twisted kind of one. "Don't worry about me," she said, and the air between them almost vibrated with longing; longing to touch, to care, to reassure. "I worry about you. You're the one who can't escape her. I can leave any time." As much as she didn't want to leave, Emma knew that she could if Mrs. Mills ever attempted to really hurt her. She just wasn't sure if she could leave Regina here with that woman.

Eyes flashing, Regina finally looked up at her. "You're leaving?!"

Emma placed a comforting hand on Regina's hand at that, amusement playing at the corners of her lips. Bug protested slightly as she moved her hand from his warm body. "No," she softly replied. She squeezed Regina's hand once, twice, before she returned back to rubbing Bug softly.

Regina sighed with relief. "Good."

"I just-" Emma cut herself off, not sure how to phrase the next part of what she wanted to say. "I know I grew up without a mom," she settled on, "but rather that than this?"

"You don't understand!" Regina argued back, and suddenly her always caring and soft voice had turned almost acerbic. "Don't try to understand, Emma. Don't meddle in things you shouldn't meddle in."

Brow furrowed, Emma wasn't sure how to react properly to the way Regina was acting at this moment. It was so very different from the way she had always acted around Emma, and it was difficult for the blonde to asses what was behind the suddenly change. "Regina, I'm not- I'm not _meddling,_ I'm just concerned-"

Regina snapped her head away. "Well don't be."

"But I can't just-"

" _Listen_ to me, Emma," Regina breathed, and she turned to look at Emma, dark eyes shimmering with unshed tears. " _Don't_ think about Mother, don't even worry about things you don't understand. Just – please just take care of the horses and worry about that."

Emma stared at her, at a loss for words. If there was one thing she had been certain of since arriving in the Enchanted Forest, it was that she and Regina were concerned about each other – just like Daniel also was, always ready to watch out and take care of them. But Regina was acting so _strange_ right now, and Emma couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with Bug, and how it was her fault that he was suddenly so sick. "I'm doing my best with the horses," she defended herself, and when she turned her eyes to Bug, she ran both hands over his heated flank, fingers trailing through short fur as he breathed quickly in and out.

Regina reluctantly pulled away from the horse; trailing backwards, she slid out from beneath him and carefully placed his head in the hay. "I have to get back inside for dinner," she curtly told them as she stood up from the ground and started dusting her riding pants off, scattering hay everywhere as she did.

Emma bit back a cough. "Okay, I can manage this. Cold sheets, water, care. I've got it." She wished Regina wouldn't leave her with this responsibility alone, but the energy between them right now was not helping Bug.

"I'll be back to check on you before bedtime," she told Emma, before she quietly slipped out of the stall and into the evening.

—

Regina never returned back to check on them. Emma had really expected that she would, because the horses were her _everything,_ even if she had acted cool and standoffish with Emma before she left. But the evening grew darker, almost into the night, and Emma was counting down the minutes until Daniel would return to take over caring for Bug.

She'd done her absolutely best to cool him; she'd fetched him cold sheets, poured icy buckets of water over him, but mostly Bug had appeared calm and content whenever she was sitting next to him and stroking his fur. Everything inside of Emma ached, because she knew that it was her fault that Bug was hurt like this, and she _yearned_ for him to get through the night and into the morning. She couldn't bare to lose him, not only because it would certainly hurt and disappoint both Regina and Daniel, but also because she couldn't _bare_ to lose him. She'd never cared about a lot of people, and certainly never had the privilege to care for any animals, but Bug had playfully carved his way into her heart – a heart that didn't have much room in it to begin with – and if she lost him, there'd be a giant horse-sized hole inside of it. She didn't want to lose him, because he'd somehow – irrevocably so – become _her horse._

"You're gonna make it, Bug," she promised him, because there was simply no way that he wouldn't.

Bug whinnied softly, his muzzle moving against her hand, and his eyes were open, watching her calmly, as if he had complete faith in her and her abilities to care for him. He trusted her, she could tell, and she hoped with all of her heart that she'd not let him down.

The air inside the small stall was thrumming with excess energy; it was almost vibrating, but mostly Emma could feel it between herself and Bug, the way the air almost trembled, the way their bodies quivered whenever they touched. It was odd, but she thought it was because she so desperately wished for him to feel better.

It wasn't many minutes later that Daniel finally returned to the stables. He looked worried, but refreshed from his sleep, and when he slipped in next to her, he gave her elbow a loving squeeze.

"How are you holding up?"

"Good. My neck's kinda…" Emma shrugged, "stiff."

Daniel gazed down at Bug and carefully ran his fingers through the fur. Bug responded by looking at him with shining, dark eyes. "He appears to be so much better," he mused, and Emma really took note of the tone of surprise in his voice.

She pressed her palms further towards the horse. "You didn't think he would? That I could take care of him?" Admittedly, she'd had her own doubts, but she thought that Daniel leaving her here would be a big vote of confidence.

Chuckling, Daniel kneeled down next to them. "According to my calculations, the worst should have yet to come." He gazed at Bug again, his brow furrowed. "I assumed I would have to return to a horse that would only grow sicker, but…." He lifted his gaze to look at Emma, "he's better."

Emma wasn't sure what to say to that, but she couldn't ignore the wave of pride that surged through her chest at Daniel's words. "Well, I've been taking lots of care of him."

"I knew you would," Daniel quickly reassured her, fond. "But this is still… remarkable."

Stifling a slight yawn, Emma leaned down to press a kiss between Bug's eyes, before she moved to slide backwards. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay, Bug?"

Daniel gave her elbow another squeeze. "I'm certain you will, Emma," he said, and he dusted off her back as she stood up on wobbly legs. "You did good." He sounded so sincere, and Emma's heart soared.

"Thank you," she whispered, and she slid carefully out of the stall, closing the door behind her, but not latching it.

"Mulan uh," Daniel said, as she turned to leave, "Mulan said earlier that she'd leave a basket of food for you in front of your chambers," he explained, "so be sure to eat before you sleep."

Emma's stomach was a giant hole, but she'd gone without food for long periods of time in her life, so she'd grown really adapt at ignoring it. Hunger was nothing but a mild annoyance to her, and this evening she'd barely felt it. "I will, thank you," she murmured. And she was going to eat – not because she wasn't exhausted and would rather sleep, but because she had a little bean in her stomach who deserved nutrition, and she could scarf down some bred, dried meats and cheese before falling into bed. For the little bean's sake.

"G'night," Daniel finished, before he turned his attention back to Bug, and Emma slipped out of the stables and into the cold night air.

The fresh, spring night hit her in the face and awoke her almost instantly. Her body was sore, tired, from sitting in the same position for hours, but now that she was outside and stretching her legs, she suddenly didn't feel so tired after all – mostly relieved that Bug appeared to, despite all odds, be okay. She had a certainty that he would make it through the night.

She walked slowly up the slight hill towards the main building. The night was quiet; she had only on a few occasions been out at this time, and it was so strange, because there were no servants milling about like in the daytime; only the sound of night birds, the wind in the rustling leaves and her own footsteps on the ground.

Emma had every intention of going straight towards her chambers to gnaw down some food and catch some sleep before she had to get up in just about five hours, but as she made her way down the side of the building, body in the shadows and steps careful in the pebbles of the courtyard, a flicker of light caught her attention. It was… it was in one of the sheds where the maids usually cleaned sheets, rested their legs for a moment, or sneakily gulped down some herbal tea. There wasn't supposed to be _anyone_ outside at this hour, Emma was certain of that.

So instead of going straight to bed like she was supposed to, her curiosity got the better of her, and Emma sneaked across the yard and towards the shed. There was a window in the front that was broken, she knew this, because she'd heard Tamara complain about it on several occasions already, so Emma crouched down and snuck around the side, holding her breath as the voice of none other than Cora Mills reached her ears.

"-but she is _supposed_ to be Queen, Rumpelstiltskin. That is the plan, do you not remember?"

A screechy, hideous giggle reached Emma's ears next, and she barely managed to stay up right on her tired feet, she was that surprised by the sound. "Oh dearie, she will be Queen one day. As long as you stick to the plan, it will all come to be." The voice was creepy too; high-pitched, several octaves higher than anything Emma had ever heard before, but she was somehow certain that it was a man.

Mrs. Mills lowered her voice, and Emma stood up more slightly to hear better. "I _am_ sticking to the plan, Rumpelstiltskin. I am teaching her everything important, but what can I do when the girl would rather roll around in the mud with the horses and that-" she spat, and Emma could easily picture the look on her face, " _stable girl_."

"Stable girl?" the other voice said, and now Emma was too curious to be able to hide; she _had_ to see this person, because for some reason it felt like this could be important information to obtain. "I thought there was a stable boy?"

"Not anymore, that's what I've been trying to tell you," Mrs. Mills continued with a voice that somehow sounded annoyed but obedient at the same time. "Henry hired this new stable girl. She says she's from the Land Without Magic."

Emma bit her lip as she tilted her head upwards, desperate to get a look inside the shed. Now that they were talking about her, she ought to find out what was going on. It could potentially damage her situation at the Mills' estate, because Mrs. Mills did _not_ sound pleased with her presence at all. She had to figure out if she was better off running, right? She lifted her head barely enough to be able to peek inside the shed, and what caught her eyes almost made her gasp aloud in surprise. Mrs. Mills was holding a fireball – _a fireball!_ – in her bare palm, and that was the only source of light inside the shed; it illuminated her face clearly, and her companion? Emma wasn't even sure if she could call him a man – he was little; lithe and slight, with long wavy hair around his face. But what surprised her the most was the fact that he was _green._ It almost looked like he had scales, and they shimmered, shimmered in the light from the fireball, and Emma had never seen anything quite so ugly.

The little green man – Emma still hadn't caught onto his name – paused. "The Land Without Magic, you say? But that's not possible without a bean."

Mrs. Mills sneered, "Why do you think I am so concerned with her presence here, hm? She is ruining Regina's future!"

"Don't be so dramatic, dearie," the little green man replied with a giggle, "I'm sure we can manage a stable girl without any problems, hm? Just a flick of my wrist and she will be gone."

Emma bit her lip as she stared at their exchange; she was truly too mesmerised to pull herself away and retreat to bed, even though she knew she should probably do it. She needed to hear what this conversation was about, because so far she wasn't connecting the dots quite yet; it was about her, for sure, and Regina's future. But was Mrs. Mills planning to get rid of her? She had to find out.

"Then make her _gone_ ," Mrs. Mills determined as she took a step closer to the little green man. The fireball on her palm grew significantly, but then died down at once.

The little green man eyed her humorously, and Emma had a feeling that even though Mrs. Mills was definitely someone you shouldn't meddle with, this man was even more dangerous. "Now, now," he said, and he pulled a hand out and slowly sucked the air out of the fireball with a content look on his face. "You don't give me orders, Cora," he said, as the fire died completely and they were left in darkness.

Emma squinted her eyes to be able to see them still, but thankfully she could hear everything.

"Just imagine," he continued with something that sounded a lot like delight, "if Regina were to grow _fond_ of this stable girl, hm? If she were to _love_ her?"

"I am sure she is already getting there, Rumpelstiltskin," Mrs. Mills replied.

"Aha," he said. "And then what happens if she suddenly _looses_ this stable girl one day? If she, I dunno, were to… disappear in mysterious circumstances?"

Mrs. Mills took a second before she answered. "Well then I am sure that my daughter would grow to hate me even more than she already does."

The little green man laughed. "And what is better fuel to take over a kingdom than heartbreak and disappointing parents? Well, I'm just asking."

Emma swallowed loudly and fell to her butt outside the shed once more, straining her ears to be able to hear the rest of their conversation. What Mrs. Mills and this man were planning… they were going to _break_ Regina, absolutely break her until she had nothing left. It was clear that they would stop at nothing to make her Queen. The question was just – what stakes did the little green man have in all of this? What did he even get out of Regina's rise to Queendom?

"So you are saying that we let them continue their… _friendship_ ," Mrs. Mills questioned. She did not sound pleased about it.

The little green man tittered. "For now," he said.

Emma waited for a second with baited breath to hear what Mrs. Mills was going to reply to that, but when there was no reply, she looked up, only to see the traces of entirely black smoke fade out through the open window and into the night. She gasped and sat up again, sure that the little man must have poofed out of there like she had seen Mrs. Mills do before. And she was right, because when she looked inside, she only saw Mrs. Mills fuming to herself.

Emma pulled away from the window and carefully crawled back towards the main building. Only when she was far enough away from the shed and Mrs. Mills, did she take off running. She only slowed down when she was safely outside of her chambers, where there was – curtesy of Mulan – a basket with delicious food placed for her. Emma grabbed it and slipped inside her room, but she wasn't hungry as she crept into bed.

What she had just seen had given her way too much to think about.

* * *

A/N: My update-day will now be every Sunday instead of Friday, because it seems to fit better with my schedule with work and everything. At least like this, I can attempt to be more reliable for you guys. I do hope you liked this chapter too, please let me know! I thank you all for the kind comments and support – it means the world to me!


	9. Chapter Nine

A/N: Trigger warning for an abusive Cora in the end of this chapter. The start of this chapter also touches slightly upon internalised homophobia as Regina tries to come to terms with her feelings.

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINE**

In only a few days, Bug was completely back to his usual, mischievous self. Regina watched him out of the window from her study; watched him fool around in the paddock like he was just a foal again, while Emma cheered him on with happy whistles and loving pats. It seemed like the two of them had grown a bond that night in the stable, because Bug let her stroke his flank and brush his mane and clean his hooves; all the things he had never particularly let any of them do before.

Regina thought that Emma looked happier, too. Happy, although a dark shadow loomed behind her green eyes. She caught the other girl casting small glances towards the window she was currently staring out of on several occasions, and every time, Regina had to quickly withdraw so that Emma wouldn't see her watching them.

It felt like Regina's heart was breaking into so many pieces that she'd never be able to put them rightfully back together again. Everything inside of her ached; she wanted nothing but to be down there with Daniel, Emma and the horses, but Mother was watching her like a hawk, and Regina was afraid that – she was afraid that… if Mother _knew_ how much she cared for Emma – if, if she somehow _found out_ – then it'd be Emma's undoing. Emma didn't deserve that, and Regina wanted to shelter her from it, to keep her protected from her mother at all costs.

Cora was making longer and longer lists for her to study, too. Today she had practised her Latin all afternoon, and even though her father had sneaked in to have a conversation in Spanish around ten, it was still boring her to no end. Cora kept checking on her, stepping by the study room to see how far she had gotten, if she was making progress, and Regina was sneakily leafing through different novels between Latin grammar and spelling. She was trying to… she was trying to… find _something._

Every book she looked into left her unsatisfied and dismayed, and she instantly pulled down another in the hopes that this one would give her the answers she searched. But every book she scanned, every sentence she read, it was _all the same._

Regina was starting to fear that there might be something _very_ wrong with her, because while she could recognise the feelings described so beautifully in the books, she could not recognise whom they were describing. Never, not once, did anyone write about a girl who was _fond_ of another girl like she was beginning to realise that she was fond of Emma. All the books spoke about girls and boys, men and women falling in love, and here she was, Regina Mills, having heart beating, sick to her stomach, butterflies fluttering _feelings_ for Emma Swan.

It was _not_ right.

And while Regina wanted this feeling to last forever because Emma was beyond _wonderful,_ she also wanted it to go away, because the other girl did not deserve this. She couldn't have Regina messing up her new life here, her chances at a better future. She _had_ to keep it to herself, to figure out a way to make it all disappear, because what wouldn't Mother _do_ if she found out? Not only to Regina herself, but also to… Emma.

Regina sighed and stared out of the window again, now having leafed through yet another novel with no luck. It was _he and she_ and _his and hers,_ and Regina wanted to throw the damn thing through the window and be done with it.

Something was wrong with her. Something was very, very wrong, and whatever was she going to do about it. She wanted to talk to her daddy; he always was so good at helping her make sense of terrible messes in her head, but she wasn't even sure she could explain to him the feelings that Emma awoke inside of her.

Footsteps neared the study, and Regina quickly shoved the novel away, to be returned later to the shelf, beneath stray parchment and Latin books. She bent her head, focusing on the grammatical error at hand.

"Darling."

Oh, it was just Daddy. Regina's shoulders sagged with relief, and looked up at him. "Daddy," she greeted with a smile and placed the pen back into the holder.

Henry took a seat in front of her, just like he so often had done in the past. "Are you still studying your Latin. I thought you would be down with your horses by now."

Involuntarily, Regina's head turned to the side, and her eyes caught sight of Rocinante through the window, gnawing away on a pile of green grass. She felt that all too familiar pang inside of her chest. "Not, not today, Daddy," she sighed, and it was painful to tear her eyes away from the wonderful view of Emma laughing in the sun with Daniel. "I have terribly much to catch up on here."

"But mija, you have done all your mother has asked of you for today. I made sure of it myself. To give you time for your horses," Henry kindly explained.

"Daddy," Regina softly sighed, and she couldn't help the smile of fondness that came to her lips at that. "You are very sweet, but you know Mother. What she asks of me and what she truly wants me to do are two separate things."

Henry replied, "Your mother is too hard on you." He watched as she slowly reached forward to take the pen again, intending to do these pages so that Mother could not scold her for it. "Go, Regina," he said, just as the tip of the pen touched upon the yellowish parchment, "go be with the horses. I will make sure to explain to Cora that-"

"Daddy, no!" Regina interrupted him. She shook her head feverishly, dropping the pen to the parchment so that ink splattered everywhere. She paid it no mind. "I can't go be with the horses right now. If Mother sees me spend too much time there, she'll-" Regina cut herself off with a bite to the lip. She lowered her gaze to her lap and fidgeted slightly with a loose hem on her white dress. She'd have to ask Tamara to mend that for her soon. Before Mother found out.

Henry's warm eyes shimmered in the light from the candles on the table. Determined. "She will what, mija?"

Regina licked her lip and rose her eyes to meet his. "I don't want to spend time there, Daddy," she firmly said, and she thought that she sounded pretty convincing, too. "Perhaps I have just outgrown my horses." It hurt her to even say it- even though it was a filthy lie, and she had been taught to never tell a lie – because her horses were her _everything._ Her everything. And so was Emma.

"Querida, what is this?" Henry questioned her. He leaned forward in his seat and carefully tucked her small hands inside his own. "You love your horses."

Regina blinked away the tears and turned her head away. She didn't want him to look into her eyes and see the lies, not when she was trying to do the right thing. "I don't want Mother to hurt them," she rasped, spurred on by the protection of her father's warm grasp. "If I spend too much time with them, she'll hurt them." Perhaps she was talking about more than the horses, but her father didn't need to know that.

Henry gave her hand a warm squeeze. "Princess, I would never let her hurt your horses," he promised her. And she always believed him too; at least the intention of it, that he'd try his very best to make sure that Cora never did lay a hand on them. Unfortunately, his very best was nothing compared to Cora's magic, and even so, Regina knew that her mother just wanted what was best for her. She had big plans for her, dreams, and she did everything she did because she wanted Regina to succeed in life.

"Just let me work on the Latin, Daddy. I will tend to the horses another time," she said with way more determination than she felt. She bent her head at that and reached for her pen once more, determined to get the work done and please her mother.

She worked in silence for a little while, maybe ten minutes or so, where she felt her father's burning gaze on her head; watching her as she worked tirelessly on Latin grammar. He hummed silently to himself, apparently eager to stay near despite the fact that she was trying her very best to ignore his presence. Eventually, he reached forward to grab a piece of parchment with her earlier studies, and as he did so, he revealed the novel that Regina had so hurriedly tucked away beneath them.

"Oh," he hummed as he tucked it closer, staring curiously down at the title on the front cover. "What is this."

Regina gave a slightly yelp as she realised what he was holding. She dropped the pen carelessly to the table and reached forward to grab the book out of his hands. "Oh, that's nothing," she hurriedly lied, but his fingers were stronger than hers, and he did not let go.

Henry eyed her. An amused shimmer glinted in his loving eyes. "Is this a romance story, Princess?"

"I don't recall how that got there," Regina lied, and a flush rose from her chest up her neck to her face. "Perhaps I took the wrong one from the shelf."

Leafing through the book, Henry seemed to scan over the words. "Why are you reading a romance book, querida? Is there something you would like to tell me?" He watched her carefully, calmly, and even though Regina felt like she could tell him everything and he would listen, there was still something in this situation that made her feel like she could _not_. She didn't dare. She couldn't bare it if her father felt like she was unnatural, weird in some way. She had better keep it to herself.

Regina grabbed the pen again and frantically rubbed with her thumb against the dark splotches left on the parchment. "I have nothing to tell you, Daddy. It is just the wrong book," she said.

The look of utter disappointment on Henry's face did not go past her, and he placed the book back onto the table and said, "Very well. But just know that if you do want to share with me something, I will be happy to listen."

Staring up at him, Regina sighed. Relieved that he had decided to let it pass for now. "I know, Daddy," she replied in a murmur and forced out a smile.

"Alright." Henry appeared to accept defeat with a sigh. "Don't give up on what makes you happy, Regina."

Regina opened her mouth to reply to that – with what she wasn't entirely sure – but before she managed to do so, Cora appeared in front of them in a fog of purple smoke. Regina yelped, and Henry immediately appeared to grow smaller in his chair.

"Henry, are you disturbing Regina in her studies?" was the way she decided to greet them when the smoke had finally cleared.

Henry blinked at his wife. "No, I was merely checking on up on her Latin," he replied, and Regina did not miss the small wink he threw her way.

"Daddy was helping me," Regina said, jutting out her chin in an attempt to support her father.

Cora raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Aha, and what is this then?" She stepped forward, picking up the romance novel from the table where Henry had put it. She took it gingerly in her hand, but the title was giving it all away: _My Truest Love,_ it read, and Regina felt her heart in her throat when Cora flipped the pages. "This is an utter waste of your time, Regina," she said and placed the book onto the table with a thump. "True Love is not something to dream for. True Love ruins your potential. True Love doesn't make you Queen."

"But Cora-" Henry begun.

Cora snapped her hand, and Henry's jaw closed forcefully. "Not buts. Regina, you will do your studies and forget this True Love nonsense, do you hear me?"

Regina stared at her father, frightened. He didn't appear to struggle too much with the constrictions, and his eyes accepted defeat. "I am not concerned with True Love," she whispered, bending her head slightly. "Can you let him go, please?"

With another flick of her hand, Cora released Henry's jaw. Instead of letting it be though, she snapped her fingers once more, and the pen inside Regina's hand almost felt glued to her fingers. She gave a panicked squeak.

"Cora, will you let the girl be for a second," Henry said, kind. He did not often raise his voice or go against her mother, so this was definitely a step forward. "She is working the best she can."

Cora dismissed him with a regal shrug. "You will be able to let go of your pen once you have finished your studies, and, furthermore, written a hundred times that you will not concern yourself with True Love." She glanced down at Regina from her position in front of the desk; her eyes were cold and her posture straight, and Regina could do nothing but nod.

"I will, Mother. Right away," she ceded.

A satisfied smirk came upon Cora's lips at that. "Wonderful," she confirmed. "It is good to know you take your studies seriously. Otherwise, we might have to get rid of your horses-" she leaned forward at this, nose almost touching Regina's as she stared seriously into her eyes, "-so you don't get _distracted_."

She disappeared into another fog of smoke, and Regina was pretty sure that she was not really talking about the horses. She said goodbye to her father, bent her neck, and hurriedly started reciting _I will not concern myself with True Love._ It felt like she was carving the words into her heart.

Two days later, Regina could not stay away from the paddock. She had worked relentlessly to keep her mother satisfied, and her mother had not grown angry with her. She thought that it was acceptable for her to go visit the horses now and get some exercise. She would even ride side-saddle because she knew that pleased her mother. Just as long as she got the smell the hay and dirt, and feel Rocinante run beneath her. She missed him, and she was pretty sure that he missed her, too.

She tried not to think too much about Daniel and … and _Emma_ – but it was very hard, and she kept wondering if they had felt her absence as much as she had felt it.

Laughter reached her ears as she neared the stable, and as she peaked around the side of the huge open stable door, she found Emma and Daniel brushing off horses and – throwing pieces of hay at each other? Flashbacks of her own time in the hay with Emma immediately entered her mind, and Regina bit her lip in thought as she watched them for a moment of two. Should she even interrupt them? Daniel and Emma appeared to be having… a very nice time.

Emma shrieked as Daniel flung hay at her, and as she bent forward to grab another handful, Regina took note of how nice a butt Emma actually had in those pants. It appeared that she was filling them out better than when she first got them. Regina smiled to herself, happy that at least Emma wasn't starving herself anymore and had gained a bit of weight. She had been way too skinny when Regina first found her.

Daniel caught sight of her over the bended shape of Emma's body, and, with surprise, said, "Regina!"

Whipping around immediately, Emma dropped the hay to the ground and stared at Regina with wide eyes. She repeated, "Regina!"

Regina stepped into the stables, feeling shy all of a sudden. "Hi. I've come to ride today."

Was she just imagining the way Emma's smile grew even bigger and her green eyes lit up? Emma grinned. "Awesome! Do you need to take Rocinante out, or can we go for a walk with the horses?"

"A walk?"

"I'm not quite ready to ride Bug yet, but we're getting there with the trust," Emma explained, and only then did Regina realise that Emma was stroking a calm Bug, who appeared to have no troubles being groomed, even inside the stables. At least not like he used to. "He could use a walk though."

Regina hesitated. She had wanted to go for a real ride on Rocinante, and she had been prepared to go by herself if Daniel had other things to do. But spending some time with Emma? It was very tempting, even if she knew she shouldn't be seen by Mother, lest it hurt Emma. But if they left the grounds, that'd be safe enough, wouldn't it?

Emma added, "I kinda need to talk to you."

Her earnest smile and the way she was looking at Regina did it for her. "Sure. Let's get them ready and head out."

They worked quickly to get the horses dressed in headgear, and they didn't talk much while doing so. Daniel started grooming one of the other horses, and Emma and Regina worked silently as they got ready, only letting out small requests such as _can you hand me that_ and answers like _sure, here you go._ Soon they were on their way towards the first cluster of trees, and only when they were a safe distance from the mansion, did Regina breathe easier, sure that Cora wouldn't be able to see them anymore. All she'd be able to see were two forms and two horses, and that could be anyone coming and going.

She felt her shoulders sag with relief and smiled shyly at Emma. "You and Bug seem better."

Emma patted his flank as they walked. "Yeah. After the whole scare with the bear claw, we really bonded. I think he trusts me to care for him now." She seemed very fond as she spoke of the horse, and Regina thought that that was a remarkable difference from the girl who ended up here not long ago who had never been close to a horse before. "Where were you the last few days? I missed you." She said the last part so carefully, almost as a second thought, and she dropped her gaze to stare at the ground.

Regina's fingers clutched at the reins that Rocinante didn't even need, but that she'd put on him for good measure. "I uh, I had a lot of studying to catch up on," she explained. "You know Mother."

The other girl was silent for a second as they continued to walk. "It's just- I saw something that I wanted to run by you, you know? Because I'm still not sure how everything works around here, so I was just-" She stopped talking, and they took a right where the path forked, silently agreeing to walk towards the small lake like they had before.

"What did you see?" Regina questioned. Perhaps Emma had seen an animal that she was not familiar with from the Land Without Magic, just like that time Regina had introduced her to eating chimera. "Was it on the grounds?"

"It was," Emma hesitated. Bit her lip. "It was your mother."

"Mother?" Regina held her breath. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure if she ought to hear this.

Emma nodded, and Regina could tell that she was nervous, too. "I saw her in one of the sheds that night when I returned to my chambers from taking care of Bug," Emma softly explained, and she still wasn't meeting Regina's eyes as she spoke. "And she wasn't alone."

Heartbeat speeding up in her chest, Regina sighed deeply. She'd oftentimes feared that her mother wasn't being completely honest and faithful towards her daddy, that Cora sometimes met strange men when she shouldn't, but being confronted with it like this was not something she was sure she was ready for. She had to know though. She simply had to, especially when Emma was the one telling her. "Who was she with?"

"I'm not sure," Emma quickly said, and it appeared that Regina's response had given her the courage she needed to look at her. At least, her green eyes now bore themselves into Regina's brown ones. "But… it was this strange little green man," she said, nose scrunching up adorably, "and uh, he had magic, too. Like your mom's. And he was almost _glittering_."

Regina paused and eyed her friend. She'd never before met anyone of that description, but she'd _heard_ of someone like that, heard of a man with more powers than even Mother, who shimmered like magic, and who was definitely green. He was also the person she had warned Emma about when she found her. _The Dark One._ She swallowed loudly. "Are you sure?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah," she said, and it seemed like there was more to it than that, more to the story that Emma wanted to tell her, "he was real creepy."

Grabbing Rocinante's reins again, Regina said. "Well, that could be anyone. Don't worry about it." She lied easily, thoroughly, only because she knew it was best for Emma not to concern herself with any of that. She didn't want Emma to know who it was, because knowledge made her vulnerable, and she was already vulnerable. Regina wanted her to be safe. "Mother has a lot of different business associates."

It didn't look like Emma believed her entirely, but she acquiesced. "Yeah?"

"Yes."

"I just thought I'd let you know though. In case it was something."

Regina forced out a smile that almost looked natural. "Thank you, Emma. That was very kind of you." She leaned towards Rocinante and continued, "Now, will you tell me all about what has been going on with you guys and the horses since the last time I was with you?"

Emma still didn't look entirely convinced, but there was a strange sort of relief floating through her eyes. She nodded. "Okay, listen to this. On Monday, Daniel was-"

—

When she returned home from their walk, Regina felt considerably lighter. It was as if spending time with Emma had made her lighter. Emma did that to her. Even if their friendship caused concerns for Regina, fear that her mother might do anything to hurt the other girl, spending time with Emma never failed to make her feel better.

Emma was the friend that Regina had never had before. She was the fearless partner who just wanted to be free and live her own life – just like Regina did. Emma was beneath nobody's thumb, and Regina could only hope that it'd continue to be that way, at least for Emma's sake. That no one would ever get that kind of hold on her. Emma made her forget, for only a little while, that Mother was horrible, that she was controlling, that she was someday going to force Regina to marry some kind of royalty. Emma made her forget all that, and it was lovely. Although, at the same time, the blonde was a painful reminder of everything Regina was never going to have.

Sometimes, at night, when she couldn't sleep, she pictured running away inside of her head. She pictured it clearly; her and Emma, packing up their belongings and loading them onto the horses with Daniel's help. She pictured Mulan packing a basket for them with food for the road, and Tamara waving goodbye as they rode off in the dead of night; Regina on Rocinante, and Emma on Bug. They'd ride off and find a small cottage somewhere and make a quiet, loving home for themselves.

Regina wouldn't need nor want a husband when she had her friend Emma. She'd finally be able to cut off her hair and wear pants and boots all day. They'd bathe together in a nearby creek, and Regina could cook for Emma, while the blonde want out searching for food. Regina would greet her home with a kiss, and at night, they'd creep into the warm skins together, almost naked to keep each other warm, and perhaps Regina would snuggle closer into Emma's embrace and kiss her lips once more, and-

Regina gasped when she realised what she was thinking. Since _when_ had her fantasy of escaping Mother's claws included sharing a bed and _kisses_ with Emma? They were just friends, making a life together without husbands or princes or kings. Just them. As friends. No matter Regina possibly caring more for Emma than that.

She stared at herself in the mirror in her room and carefully shed off her jacket, draping it on the back of a chair. She raked her fingers through her hair, loosening her braid. Her cheeks were red – from the walk or her fantasy, she wasn't sure – and suddenly her pants seemed awfully tight and uncomfortable. Regina twisted and bent down to loosen her boots. Emma's lips had seemed awfully pink today, easy and temping to kiss, just like she pictured them in her mind whenever she dreamt of a life together. She wondered what it would be like to kiss them someday.

Pulling off her boot, Regina raised her head, only to realise that somebody had entered her chambers. She gasped in surprise. "Mother!" She dropped the boot to the floor and grasped at her chest.

Cora looked dismayed, as always. "Regina, Darling, where have you been?"

Regina thought it was pretty evident where she had been due to the fact that she was still wearing one riding boot and her riding pants. "I was with the horses, Mother."

"I looked for you all over the house," Cora informed her as she stepped closer.

Regina really doubted that she'd looked _all over_ the house, but she kept that thought to herself. "I had finished all my studies and done some extra reading, so I thought it alright to spend some time exercising with Rocinante today," she explained lightly. She bent her head to untie the other boot.

Cora huffed. "Aha. And you wouldn't have happened to frolic with the stable girl then?"

Dropping the other boot to the floor as well, Regina sat up straight and jutted out her chin. "Well, she _is_ the stable girl, so one would not find it too odd that she is at the stable. Where the horses are."

"Don't use that tone with me, young lady," Cora snapped. She strode across the room and placed a firm hand on the back of Regina's chair. "I am your mother, and you will respect and address me as such."

Regina flinched, her earlier bravado and light mood entirely gone, like with a flick of Cora's hand. "Yes, Mother."

" _Good,_ " Cora firmly said, but she didn't loose her grip on the chair. "I have an important thing to ask of you. Prince Philip is coming to Princess Tiana's birthday ball, and I want you to write him a letter beforehand, so that he will notice you once you are there."

"But Mother!" Regina gasped, immediately forgetting the vague threat her mother had just given her. "He is tree years younger than me! Just a child!"

"I don't care," Cora firmly said, and her fingers moved slightly on the chair so that she could snap them. "You will do as I say. It is never too early to search for a husband, Regina."

Regina stood up from the chair, ducking beneath her mother's arm to get herself some space between them. Frustrated tears were welling up in her eyes, and she loathed, _loathed,_ her mother for forcing her to do this. Prince Philip was thirteen. Much too young for her, and entirely bland compared to- She turned around on the spot and said, " _No._ "

Cora let out a short laugh. "No?"

"That's what I said," Regina argued. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and decided to stand her ground no matter where that might get her.

"Regina, that's not up to you," Cora said and stepped closer. Her fingers quivering around her sides, and she talked softly, but it was clear that she meant _business._ "You'll do as I say."

Regina shook her head and turned it to the side, ignoring her mother's strong gaze as she neared her. She wanted to deny her this, wanted to stand up for herself in a way that would make Emma proud – she _knew_ it would – and she turned her gaze back to her mother's, and said, "If you force me to write this, I will tell Daddy about your secret meeting with the Dark One in the shed."

As soon as the words left her mouth and registered in Cora's brain, Regina knew it was a mistake. All colour seemed to drain from her mother's face, and her fingers clenched, briefly, before lashing out and shoving Regina forcefully against the wall. "What did you just say to me, girl," she demanded. The drapes around Regina's big courtyard window moved in circles around her, tied her to the spot.

Regina fought against the restraints, but they only tightened their hold. "The Dark One. You're meeting him," she forced through gritted teeth. No matter how much she wriggled, the drapes did not let go of her.

Cora stepped closer, and her fingers came to rest forcefully around Regina's throat. "You better listen to me, Regina, because you are meddling in affairs you know nothing about, do you hear me?"

Wanting to answer, Regina tried to open her mouth, but no sound came out. Her throat was being blocked by her mother's hands. She could feel a little drool spilling out the side of her mouth.

Her mother's eyes gleamed triumphantly as she watched her struggle. "Look at you," she breathed, acerbic. "You're pathetic. You need to get your act together if you're gonna be Queen, Regina, do you not understand me? I want what's best for you, Darling." Her fingers clenched even harder around Regina's throat at that. "I love you."

Rasping, Regina nodded her head. She could feel tears spilling out of her eyes, and her head was growing lighter as she struggled for air. "Mo-" was all she could force above her lips.

Cora smirked. "You need to write Prince Philip, Darling. And you need to only mind your studies, do you understand?"

Regina could do nothing but nod in agreement, because if she didn't get air soon, she was going to die. It wasn't the first time this had happened, and it probably wasn't going to be the last, but every time she felt like she was running out of oxygen and she'd never breathe again.

Her mother lifted her off the ground, the majority of the weight being held by the magical drapes. She grinned, malicious, and only when Regina rose out of reach for her, did she drop her hand to the side of her body once more. Regina coughed, coughed and spluttered as she hung two feet in the air, and Cora just looked up at her, unimpressed and displeased. "You disappoint me, Regina," she whispered, before she turned around on her heel and walked towards the door.

"Mo- mo-," Regina tried to call for her, to get her to put her down, but the sounds got caught in her sore throat.

Cora turned around on her heel. "You'll come down when I so please," she informed Regina, before she turned around on her heel and left the room. She closed the door forcefully behind her, and Regina could hear the bolt sliding into the brackets with a clang, as her mother locked the door behind her.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter jumps slightly forward as we move onto what I like to think of as the second act of this fic – it includes the ball, Regina and Emma growing closer, and Emma finally dealing with the baby she's going to have soon.


	10. Chapter Ten

**CHAPTER TEN**

Time moved quickly working at the Mills' estate. Before Emma knew of it, she had been in the Enchanted Forest for what she mentally calculated was around two and a half months. It grew hotter outside, the days grew longer, and Emma's belly grew bigger.

It was getting decidedly more difficult to hide the protruding belly, even in Daniel's old clothes. Her cheeks had grown chubbier too; thankfully all of her friends just seemed to agree that it was because she was finally getting regular meals. Emma knew she had to do something about it soon though; even simple tasks like lacing up her boots in the morning were beginning to prove problematic as she had difficulties bending down. She got out of breath mucking out the stalls, and now that the weather was better, Daniel had taken to peeling off his tunic to work in his undershirt, and Emma _really_ wanted to follow suit, but as soon as she did, her situation would become known to everyone.

She thought sometimes about what her life would have been like right now if she hadn't fallen through that portal, as Regina liked to call it. She would probably have been sitting in a jail cell right now, waiting to pop out a child she couldn't even get to keep. Instead she was here now, in this fantastic, yet strange, land that she was beginning to firmly believe was real.

This could _not_ just be a fragment of imagination, made up inside of her head. It could _not_ be some comatose dream playing before her eyes, while she was being kept alive by machines. Emma was sure that she could never make up a place like the Enchanted Forest, and _never, ever,_ would she be able to make up such a wonderful person as Regina. This had to be real, as strange and different as it was. But Emma liked to consider it her second chance for her and the bean, some place to call home and make it great for themselves.

It was late one evening when she was lying in bed, half asleep, but a bit too antsy to really rest, that she felt the baby kick for the first time. She'd been hopeful that everything was going as it should, because her belly was growing rapidly, but this was really the first sign of life she had felt from the little bean. It was quick, a little movement and a kick inside of her, and she jumped up in surprise, startling Tamara, who was reading by a lit candle in the bed next to her.

"Whoa," Emma gasped loudly and shifted on the bed.

Tamara turned her head to stare at her. "What?"

Emma quickly replied, "Nothing."

Regarding her for a second, Tamara eventually said, "Sure," in a tone that told Emma that she did not believe her one bit. She leaned over and pointed at something in her father's journal. "What's that word?" she questioned, like she had done so many times before.

Leaning over, Emma took a look at the word at the tip of Tamara's finger. She gritted her teeth. " _Liar,_ " she read.

Tamara hmm'ed, "Oh, I though that that was what it was. It's always good to make sure though, right?"

Emma narrowed her eyes in on her chamber-mate, "Yeah," she hissed as she watched her chamber-mate bury her nose in the book again. "You know," she said, conversationally, and mostly to get back at Tamara for teasing her, "everybody learns to read where I come from."

With as sigh, Tamara looked up from behind her book. "Honestly," she replied, wistful as ever, "that does sound like the most amazing place."

"Yeah, we just go to school and stuff," Emma replied, and at Tamara's questionable look, she added an explanation, "kind of like Regina's lessons, but more structured, I guess? We got there five times a week for, like, six or eight ours. Then we learn to read and all that other stuff. And all kids do it. It's the law."

Tamara's brown eyes glazed over as she appeared to be imagining such a place and how different her life would have been if she had grown up there. "That's really cool," she replied, because she, too, had picked up on some of Emma's strange vocabulary and was trying to use it herself. She was actually a bit better at grasping the concept than Regina, but Emma thought Regina was cute, so that evened it out a bit. "Imaging going to school to _read_."

Emma wasn't really sure about the general coolness of it however, and she didn't really remember a fondness of trying to learn to read, but that might have had more to do with her circumstances than the actual act of _reading._ However, she did feel bad for Tamara that she wanted something so badly, and had never quite received the tools to do it. Therefore, Emma also admired her persistence in learning it herself. Tamara was actually pretty cool. "Yeah, I guess," she whispered, before she pulled off her cover and sat up in bed. She had not discarded her tunic yet; she usually did so after Tamara went to sleep, and if she couldn't stay awake until then, she'd end up sleeping in it. Her feet hit the cold floor and she shivered briefly, but Daniel had gifted her a pair of his old loafers that she stuck her feet into.

"Where are you going now?" Tamara said with a sigh as she closed the journal around her finger to mark her place.

"Gotta pee," Emma explained as she pulled herself off the bed with a groan. That was another thing that happened a lot these days, too; her peeing. Sometimes it felt like she had to go thirty seconds after she went. Maybe the baby was having a dance party on her bladder. "And then I'll walk around a bit. I'm jittery."

Tamara opened her book up again. "Sure, go bother Mulan or something. Just don't hurt yourselves, okay?"

Emma grinned and gave her thumbs up as she slipped out of the door. "Sure thing, boss," she called, as the door snapped shut behind her. She slid into the washroom next door and quickly used the thing that resembled a toilet in this land – she wasn't sure she was ever going to be totally comfortable with the rather primitive way of peeing, but then again, she had lived on the streets – and as she emerged, she wondered what she could do to spend her time. It was late evening, so it wasn't like there was a lot of things to do, but she for sure wouldn't get anything out of going back to bed.

She wavered for a second, toying with the idea of knocking on Mulan's window from the outside to wake her up, but then she paused – if she had to be honest, it wasn't Mulan's window she wanted to go knocking at. She longed to see _Regina._ Their time together had been so limited lately, and they'd barely had any time alone. Just stolen moments here and there, between mucking out the stalls and Daniel riding with Regina. Regina had begun spending less time at the stables too; Emma wasn't sure why that was; Regina kept saying that it was just because Mrs. Mills ordered her to study more, but Emma kept feeling like there was something else at stake too; as if Regina was trying to stay away from her for some reason.

She knew it was silly – stupid really – because she trusted Regina, and there had to be a reason for all of her decisions, but she couldn't help but feel like there was something Regina wasn't telling her. She wanted to just be in it, to let Regina tell her whenever she was ready, and until then, she just wanted to spend time with her whenever she could. And so, before she had even thought this all the way through, she was making her way outside and towards the main building.

The spring evening was warm, and Emma wasn't cold as she waddled across the courtyard in Daniel's loafers. She could see the night guard snoring gently against the side of the building, and she thanked God that she was not an army of knights or a group of bandits coming to rob the place, because he would probably have slept right through them, too. She pushed the big double doors open just so, crept inside and closed them carefully behind her.

She had not been in Regina's room before, but she was pretty sure she knew where it was. She was certain Regina was already in her room, reading for the night or perhaps already tucked into bed; she knew that Mrs. Mills ran a pretty tight ship around this place, and since it was close to 11pm, there was no way Regina would be anywhere but in the room. She crept up the grand staircase and down the hallway where they had encountered Mrs. Mills that one time, trying to walk silently as to not alert Regina's parens to her presence in the house. She didn't know where they might be spending their evening, so she held her breath and stayed in the shadows as she hurried towards Regina's room.

Down the hallway and to the left; another corridor, and she was sure the rooms on her right had windows facing the courtyard. That had to be the study where she was often sure she could spot Regina through the window, gazing out at them and towards the stables, and that room – that room right there, that _had_ to be Regina's room.

Emma paused as her eyes landed on the set-up on the front of the door; a set-up that only further confirmed her certainty that this was Regina's room. There was a frigging _bolt_ slid into a _bracket_ , making it impossible for whomever was inside the room to get out.

That could only be another of Mrs. Mills' insane attempts to control all of Regina's actions.

With newfound certainty, Emma slid the bolt out of the bracket, holding her breath at the noise it made, resisting her actions slightly, before se pulled the door open and slid inside the room. Everything was dark, except a lone lit candle, shimmering slightly in the windowsill where Regina was calmly sitting, facing the window with an open book in her lap.

"I am reading, Mother," she tiredly said as she turned the page, "no need to check up on me."

Emma grinned. "I have come to _stop_ you from reading," she said.

Regina whipped around quickly. "Emma!" she gasped, and her book snapped shut in her lap. "What are you doing here? _How_ did you get in?" Her eyes turned towards the door that had closed behind Emma, and they wavered slightly.

"Oh, I just pulled the _bolt_ out of the _bracket_ ," she said, empathising the insanity, as she stepped closer, awkwardly since she wasn't quite sure what to do with her hands. "What _the fuck,_ Regina!?" she added with a hiss and hooked a thumb over her shoulder to gesture to the door. "A fucking bolt? She _locks you in_."

Regina's eyes turned wider and she slipped off the sill, her book dropping mercilessly to the floor. "Lower your voice," she begged.

With a roll of her eyes, Emma did just that. "So you can't get out or what?"

"I'm not even sure how _you got in,_ " Regina replied in a hush. "Only Mother opens that."

"Well maybe I'm just stronger than I look," Emma replied and playfully held out her arm as if she were flexing her muscles.

Regina rolled her eyes, fond. "Not like that, Emma," she said.

Emma stared at her. "Then like what?"

There was a slight pause, and Regina's eyes lingered once more on the door. "Just forget it," she said as she bent down to pick up the book and place it neatly on the sill. "What are you even doing here?"

Crossing the floor and leaving no space left between them, Emma shyly said, "I wanted to see you."

A fond expression fell on Regina's face at that. "Oh," she said, like she couldn't believe that anyone would want to. "If Mother sees you-" she begun.

But Emma cut her off. "She won't," she promised, and she held out her arms, gesturing at whatever. "So," she stated, very aware that she was grinning goofily, "what do you wanna do with your newfound freedom?"

Regina eyed the door again and a look of pure excitement played upon her features at that. "If we leave this room," she queried, "can you put the bolt back in the bracket and make it look like I'm still here?"

Emma huffed. "Can I? Just watch me." Emma wasn't sure what the big deal about that bolt and bracket was, but she could most definitely do it.

The brunette was silent for a few seconds more as she undoubtedly pondered things over and made plans inside of her mind. Eventually, she stared up at Emma with stars in her eyes and the biggest smile. "Then I want to take you on a night trip to the lake on Rocinante."

Emma straightened her back and gave her friend a mock salute. "Aye, aye, Captain," she teased.

Regina froze and stared at her, curious.

"Just," Emma breathed and dropped her hand to her side, "never mind, just get dressed," she ordered, and Regina grinned happily as she hurried towards her dresser and pulled out a warm tunic and a pair of riding pants.

—-

The evening air had a slight chill as they made their way through the small forest and towards the lake. Emma's front was pressed against Regina's back as the brunette steered. Her hair was down in curly waves, because Regina had not bothered to do it up in her eager to get out of the room. Emma felt safe, tucked on top of Rocinante's back with Regina right in front of her. She knew that at some point she'd eventually have to get on Bug to ride on her own, but tonight was not the night for that.

She breathed in Regina's hair, and the rhythmic motion of Rocinante's walk could almost have lulled her to sleep right there, on top of his back. She was with the person she trusted the most in the entire world, and she hugged her tighter and tried to just be.

They ended up on the other side of the lake tonight to get shelter from the slight nip of the wind. They found a patch of grass that Regina deemed comfortable enough, and they settled down while Rocinante muzzled his way through the grass towards the lake. There was a huge tree with branches looming over them, and on their right, a cluster of bushes dotted with red berries shielded them from the worst of the wind. Emma leaned slightly over to examine them more. She had never seen those kind of berried before; not in the Enchanted Forest or the Land Without Magic.

She nuzzled into Regina's side, tucking her head into her neck as they laid down together. She wondered what Regina was thinking about, and even why she had been so distant lately. It was clear that something had been on her mind the past many weeks, and Emma could only take a wild guess as to what it was.

"Is this okay?" Emma wished to know, because she did not want Regina to feel uncomfortable at all.

Regina was starting to figure out what the word okay meant, and she nodded. "It's more than okay."

Emma hummed.

"Why did you come to find me tonight?" Regina whispered. Her fingers had started to run through Emma's blonde locks, and it was making her head go kind of dizzy.

"'Missed you," she breathed, and her fingers clutched slightly at the hem of Regina's tunic.

Regina's breath hitched. "I apologise."

Tilting her head upwards, Emma wanted to meet Regina's eyes, but the brunette was staring at the sky. "You've been kind of distant lately," she added. It wasn't because she wanted Regina to feel guilty or anything, she was just trying to figure out what it was, or if maybe – she really hoped not – it was something she had done.

Brown eyes ran briefly over Emma's face before they settled on what her fingers were doing to Emma's hair. "It's Mother, she's-" Regina paused, nimble fingers raking through hair, "-she's, she's pushing me to do better, to be more, I-" she stopped talking once more, and her brow was wonderfully furrowed, "-I don't want you getting involved in that."

Emma's heart soared. "Don't worry about that," she said, and she wished Regina would look at her, "I can take care of myself, okay?"

"I know you can," Regina acquiesced.

"And," Emma added, this time pulling back so she could move further up and force Regina to look at her. She placed a hand on her cheek, warm and comfortable. "And I know," she continued, because there was going to be another little person soon, and if there ever was a time where she wouldn't be able to watch out for them, she knew Regina would. "-that if I somehow am unable, you will."

Regina's breath hitched, and she reached a hand out to cup Emma's cheek, too. "I'll _always_ watch out for you," she promised, almost breathless, "I care for you immensely."

Emma couldn't help the small smile that came upon her lips at that, and their foreheads tilted closer, resting against each other. "And I care for you," she promised, and she longed to be closer to the younger girl, to hold her tighter. The air between them was tense, and Emma's thumb stroked Regina's cheek. "So much," she added, wistful. And - almost as if the little bean wanted to give its opinion as well - she felt a kick against her stomach, which caused her to pull back with a breathless, "Ow!"

Alarmed, Regina stared at her. "What's wrong?" she questioned, and her eyes were wide with panic. "Are you okay?"

Emma rose a hand to the back of her neck. "Cramp," she lied, for good measure.

Regina's gaze wavered, not entirely believing her. "Okay," she murmured, but her brown gaze moved over every inch of Emma's body beside her, as if checking to make sure that that was really the case. "Come here," she breathed, and she tucked Emma to her side again, pulling the blonde towards her body and wrapping an arm around her. She pressed a kiss to Emma's hair.

Rocinante stood by the lake and gulped up water; the moon was only half-full tonight, but the stars shimmered brightly, and a single bird could be heard chirping somewhere. Emma was content; she wrapped herself in Regina's embrace, could almost hear the way her heart beat steadily inside of her chest. She felt tired suddenly, calmer than she had earlier in the evening, and if she allowed herself to, she'd fall asleep right there in Regina's arms.

"Can I ask you something?" Regina asked, eventually, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Emma hummed. "Yeah."

There was a hitch of breath, and Regina said, "Have you ever been in love before?"

Her body suddenly stiffened slightly in Regina's arms, and Emma willed herself to keep breathing steadily in and out. "Uhm. Yeah. Once or twice. Why?"

Regina was quiet for a second. "I am just wondering what that might feel like," she replied, and her voice was deep with honesty in a way that Emma had never heard before.

The blonde titled her head upwards and gazed at her friend in the faint moonlight. Her lids were slightly hooded, her cheeks pink, with naked lips, and dark lashes. She'd never found her more beautiful. "It feels wonderful," she whispered, and her fingers trailed across Regina's tunic playing absentmindedly with the stitched pattern. "Like, they're your whole world. You want to be with them _all the time._ You've never cared for anyone more. You feel like you can be yourself. It's…" she trailed off, trying to explain what kind of feelings her past lovers had elicited in her, but also, strangely, the exact feelings that Regina herself elicited in her, too. "It's safe. Comfortable."

The kind of feelings that Regina elicited in her more than anyone ever had before.

Regina's heart was beating faster inside of her chest, Emma could hear it clearly. "Who were they?" she asked. "When you were in love, who were they?"

"There was a girl named Lily," Emma quickly revealed, staring at a flower behind Regina's shoulder, "and then there was a boy named Neal."

"A girl and a boy?" Regina's voice was high with curiosity.

Emma nodded and returned her gaze to the other girl. "A girl and a boy, yeah. I can go either way."

Regina's lips thinned, and the scar above her lip stood out clearly as they did. Her breath hitched. "Oh," was all she eventually got out.

Biting her lip to keep herself from chuckling at her friend's pure innocence, Emma pulled slightly back and decided to change the subject; she had a feeling that Regina might needed some time to register _that,_ because it was clearly something she had been curious about. Why, Emma wasn't sure, but she hoped that Regina would tell her eventually. "Those berries over there, are they eatable?" She pointed towards the bushes with a thumb.

Clearly relieved that the conversation was changed, Regina nodded. "Yes, those are- but I wouldn't eat them."

"Why not?"

"Because they are magic," Regina said, as if that was the most natural thing in the world. Which, in the Enchanted Forest, it probably was. "If you eat them, they will show you what you desire most in the world. Which, for many, can be quite harmful."

Emma glanced at the berries on the bush, her tongue suddenly feeling very big inside of her throat. The berries looked so innocent, so regular, like they were not able to harm you at all, like a regular raspberry or blueberry; something eatable, that one bought to treat themselves. "Really?"

"Yes," Regina confirmed, her voice firm. She pulled Emma's attention back to her, and their eyes locked. "I'm not sure I'd dare eat them," she breathed, and there was something so honest about her expression right there.

Licking her lips, Emma said, "You wouldn't?" She wanted nothing more than to tuck Regina closer, perhaps press their lips together in a chaste kiss. But she wasn't sure she could trust herself, trust Regina to say no if she didn't want to. She wouldn't want to be the person who took advantage of her friend like that, no matter if the air between them vibrated with chemistry and it felt like Emma was going to soar right out of her body if she didn't feel Regina's skin beneath her own.

But Regina was only sixteen; she had never been in love before, and she had, in so many ways, lived a very sheltered life, and Emma didn't want to ruin that experience for her. She wanted Regina to look back at her first kiss with fondness like Emma, herself, did. Not just as something that happened one night by the side of the lake with the stable girl she called her friend.

And Emma wasn't sure if she could trust herself, trust herself to know that she wasn't just horny because it had been a while, that she wasn't just hormonal because of the pregnancy. No, Regina deserved more than that, Regina deserved the _world._ Most definitely more than a pregnant runaway who worked as a stable girl.

Regina shook her head. She looked painfully put together, on the verge of tears or something else entirely. "I don't need to eat them to know what I desire most," she whispered, practically breathless.

Their eyes locked again, and it felt like all time in the universe stood still between them as they gazed at eat other. Regina was so beautiful, so incredible soft and innocent, yet stronger than she had been mere months ago when Emma first met her. There was a newfound bravery in her, a determination that Emma had yet to really experience with her. And there was nothing she wanted to do more than to give in to her own desire and pull Regina closer, but – the little bean. Mrs. Mills. Regina's future, and everything else was a stake, and _what if she ruined it_? She'd never be able to live with herself if she did.

She swore Regina's eyes flickered briefly to her lips. "Emma?"

"Yeah," Emma's voice cracked, and the spell was broken. She wrapped her fingers around a straw of grass and pulled. "It's probably for your mother to leave you alone, right?" she asked, because she had to say something to make this moment go away – to break it, even if she wanted nothing more than to just be in it.

Regina pulled back, as if scorched by fire· "Yeah," she breathed, nodding her head. "It is. Of course it is."

Emma faked a yawn and stretched. "Do you think we can go back? I have to get up early tomorrow."

"Of course," Regina replied.

It was not even a lie. She did have to get up early tomorrow, but she hated herself for the rejected look that was written all over Regina's face. Emma really had to figure out what she wanted, and – if she did want it – she had to make sure that Regina did, too, because she could not handle losing the other girl. If she did, she wasn't sure she'd be able to pull herself back up again.

—

The next morning, Emma was tired as hell as she made her way from her chamber towards the stables. She had gotten back to her chamber at roughly 2AM, and even though she had been eager to leave the small lake, she had not been able to sleep. She had tossed and turned, thinking all night about Regina and what everything meant.

On one hand she kept cursing herself for not going after what she wanted at the moment; to kiss Regina more than she had ever wanted to kiss anyone in her life. Even more than she wanted to kiss Lily for her first kiss ever, and even more than she had wanted to kiss Neal when she fell in love with him and eventually created the little bean growing inside of her. It was frustrating because she had always been a person who went after _what_ she wanted, and damn, she had wanted to kiss Regina. But she was also so afraid of losing her.

She _thought_ that Regina felt the same, it sure felt like she did. But Emma could never really be entirely certain, and she most definitely did not want to ruin her relationship with the other girl. She didn't know what she'd do if she ever lost Regina – how, how she would survive in the Enchanted Forest, so far away from home, soon with a child of her own. She was only 18, stuck in a place she did not know much about. How would she ever manage? She could not raise the kid as a mere thief on the streets that was for certain.

So as Emma made her away across the courtyard at sunup, she was braiding her hair as she walked, trying to get it into control as the first task of the day was mucking out the stalls. Daniel was going to meet her there, and she desperately wanted to please him with her work. He always did so much for her, and soon she'd be left not able to do much physical work, so she had to work harder now. She had not expected to come to care for this place and the people – and the horses – the way she did; she had thought that it was a place to be, a job to get food in her belly, but damn, it had turned out to be so much more than that.

When she arrived at the stables, the double doors were already open, inviting the fresh morning air and sunlight into the horses. Daniel was already working on getting them into the paddock, and he greeted her with a huge smile on his face.

"'Morning Em! Are you ready for-" He stopped talking as his eyes landed on her form; they turned wide and all colour seemed to leave his face. He dropped the shovel in his hand and took a few steps closer. "Emma, _are you with child_?"

Emma gasped and stared down at herself. In all of her tired confusion, she had forgotten her tunic on the side of her bed.

* * *

A/N. I am not so pleased with this chapter as I had some challenges yesterday (my iPad that I work on deleted the entire lake-scene and I could not restore it), and I am not as pleased with it as I was before. I hope you like it though. Please let me know! I'll be back on Sunday, but if you so please: follow me on twitter at stessafanfic – I post about my writing and reblog a shit ton of SQ.


	11. Chapter Eleven

A/N: Trigger warning once more: this chapter deals a bit with internalised homophobia.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ELEVEN**

When Regina neared the paddock the next day, she could not immediately locate Emma or Daniel. It was odd, because all the horses were still in their stalls and not in the paddock, like they would usually be at this time of day; right before noon.

Daddy had allowed her to go say hello to the horses before lunch and her afternoon studies, and she'd been kind of excited to see Emma again after their impromptu trip to the lake last night. It appeared as if Mother had not realised that she had left her room at all, and when Emma had helped her sneak back in, her heart had been soaring. Happy.

It had been a bit awkward at the lake, of course, because Emma had been so incredibly close to her, which had made Regina want to do all kind of things that she had only read about in those romance books she had picked off the shelf. Emma's body against hers had felt _wonderful;_ heart-beating, breath-quickening wonderful. Regina had wanted desperately to kiss her – at least she was pretty certain that that was the feeling she had been combatting inside of her chest.

She couldn't be entirely sure, because everything about Emma threw her off guard, confused her and made her feel things she had never felt before. _Emma_ made her feel things; strange, but wonderful things. Being close to her was better than anything Regina had ever done before, even galloping full speed on Rocinante, and it was throwing her entire world off its axis, because _there Emma was._ Right in front of her. Yet Regina didn't know if Emma wanted to kiss her at all.

 _But she said she could go either way,_ Regina mused as she glanced around the empty stable and moved to scratch Rocinante between the eyes through the bars. "But what does that even mean, Rocinante, hm?" she asked the horse in a low murmur. Emma liking both boys and girls didn't mean anything if she didn't like _Regina._ And perhaps girls liking girls was quite a normal thing in the Land Without Magic, Regina couldn't really be sure.

All she knew was that it wasn't something she had ever seen or heard of before in the Enchanted Forest, and she had a horrible feeling that Mother would not take kindly to a romance between her and Emma. If she'd even dare go there, because what if Mother hurt Emma because Regina cared for her? Regina would never be able to live with herself.

She wanted to believe that Mother would understand, that she would care for Regina's feelings, wishes and dreams. But was that really a risk she was willing to take?

"I don't think so, boy," she tutted at her horse, while her heart broke a little bit inside of her chest at the thought of that. What if she never got to kiss Emma like she dreamed of, simply because she didn't dare? But she wanted to, she wanted to _so badly._ Everything inside of her ached, and it had done so since last night when Emma's forehead had been pressed against hers. "Have you seen Emma or Daniel, mh?"

Rocinante whinnied softly, and Regina stepped backwards, taking another look around the stables. She noticed a shovel discarded randomly on the floor, and that was when she realised that the door to the backside of the stable was slightly open. She crept closer, holding her breath as she recognised Daniel's voice.

"Are you feeling better now?" Daniel asked, and his voice was full of concern.

Emma answered softly, "Yeah loads. Thank you."

Regina furrowed her brow as she leaned closer, peaking out at them through the slight creak between the door and the doorway. Emma was sitting on one of the logs outside, wrapped in Daniel's discarded tunic, as he was wearing only his undershirt next to her. He had his arm around her; their bodies close together as he stroked his fingers across her arm. Regina stared at them. _Emma is feeling bad?_

Daniel brushed a piece of Emma's hair behind her ear. "Have you told Regina yet?" he asked her. His blue eyes watching Emma so carefully.

"Not yet," Emma bit back. She hugged herself, both arms crossed across her chest.

Regina's breath hitched and she pulled back, out of view completely, with her back pressed against the wall, ear towards the door so she could still hear. What wasn't Emma telling her? Her heart sped up drastically in her chest, and something unpleasant churned in her stomach.

"Why not?" Daniel asked next, "If you don't mind me asking."

Emma was quiet for a little while before she answered. "I just… I don't want her to be upset with me. With us," she finished, and Regina bit her lip, trying to make sense of what she was hearing, even though it was kind of difficult.

She knew she probably owed it to Emma to leave right this instant, to let the blonde come to her whenever she felt like it. So that Regina wasn't eavesdropping, but letting Emma set the pace. Something kept her rooted to the spot against the wall though; whether it was her concern for Emma or the way Daniel was taking wonderfully care of her, Regina wasn't sure, but she couldn't get herself to move.

"I don't think she will be," Daniel murmured in reply, and Regina held her breath, so she could hear every word. "Will she not be supportive?"

Emma didn't reply, and Regina bit her lip, trying desperately to figure out what Emma was talking about. She _would_ be supportive of everything regarding Emma, wouldn't she? She couldn't imagine a scenario where she wouldn't support Emma regardless... But then again – she tilted forward once more and gazed through the small opening of the door, and then she froze. Daniel was consoling Emma; his arms were wrapped tightly around her, and her head was on his shoulder, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as if she was holding back tears.

It looked like she was hurting, deeply, and Regina's heart ached as she looked at them. Both for Emma because she was clearly in pain, but also for herself, because... why was Daniel so close to her, and why was he consoling her as if he was her best friend or – Regina felt a pang of hurt in the pit of her stomach at the thought of this – her boyfriend.

"It's going to be alright, Em," Daniel said, soothingly, as he brushed her hair and held her tight. "I promise, we'll figure it out." And as he pulled back, he placed a loving kiss on Emma's forehead, and Regina couldn't bear to look at it.

Stepping away from the door, Regina felt tears well up in her eyes – and she did not understand why. Her chest felt tight; her stomach unsettled. And she bit back a whimper and turned on her heel, only to rush out of the stable and straight into the midday sunshine. _Why_ was Daniel holding Emma so close? Why? Why was he holding her tight and kissing her hair and taking care of her? _Regina_ wanted to be the one to do those things. She yearned to be closer to Emma, especially if Emma was upset.

She ran quickly – across the courtyard and through the echoing hallways of the house, not minding the fact that her mother would scorn her for making such a ruckus. She entered her room and closed the door behind her with a bang, only to fall onto her bed with a low howl. She brushed her cheeks, realising that they were wet from the tears streaming out of her eyes, and she curled herself into a ball on top of the sheets, knees hugged tightly to her chest. She could not control the cries that erupted from her throat; she could not stop them or lower them, only let them slip past her lips as her entire body hurt.

Suddenly, everything made so much sense to her. Why Emma had pulled back yesterday, why she had probably not felt the moment between them in the same way that Regina had. It made _sense,_ it made sense because Emma might like both boys and girls, but if she liked Daniel more than she liked Regina, then what was the point? How could she, Regina Mills, ever compete with Daniel, who was handsome and kind, and who took care of horses with such a compassion. Daniel – who didn't have a controlling mother who forced him to do all the things he didn't want to, Daniel who was the same age as Emma, who could run away with her to that cottage in the woods that Regina had foolishly dreamt of.

Everything inside of her hurt, and she didn't know how to stop it. Why had the books not mentioned anything about feeling like this? She had only read of fluttering hearts and loving touches – not of the feeling like someone had pushed a hand into her chest and was squeezing her heart to dust.

She was vaguely aware that the door into her room had been opened. "Mija?"

Regina turned her head away, not wanting her father to see her tear-streaked cheeks, her rumpled clothes and the absolute pain in her eyes. "Not now, Daddy," she replied. She hoped that he would not hear the shake of her voice, the quiver of her lips. She was trembling.

"Princess," Henry said as he stepped into the room, because of course he saw right through her vain attempt at covering up her feelings. "What's wrong?"

There was a dip in the bed as her father sat down right behind her, and Regina moved, without conscious thought, closer to him, longing for the warm and safe feeling he always provided. His hand was immediately on her back, rubbing a soothing circle as she shook with silent sobs. She could not bear to look at him; instead she buried her face in her sheets and cried the tears she had no idea where really came from.

"Querida," Henry whispered, when he had been soothing her for a good five minutes. "Please tell me what is wrong so that I can help you?"

He sounded so concerned that Regina could not keep it in any longer. "Emma and Daniel are in love, Daddy," she whispered as she raised her eyes to briefly look at him; they were clouded with tears, but she saw the way his mouth formed a surprised 'o', before she buried her head into his lap and started crying once more.

Henry awkwardly – but lovingly – patted her back, trying to comfort her, but it barely registered as her body once more shook with cries. "And this upsets you so, my darling," he whispered. He wasn't questioning it, he was merely stating a fact.

"Yes, Daddy, it does," Regina hiccupped, and she turned around on the bed and stared up at him once more.

A tentative thumb came down to wipe at her cheek in a soft caress. "Do you want to tell me why this upsets you, or do I have to make an educated guess?"

Regina bit her lip. He was so kind, her father, but what wouldn't he think of her if he knew? Would he be disgusted with her for her love for Emma? He'd never tell Mother, she was sure of it, but what would happen to her? "Daddy, I can't," she breathed, and she was very aware that she sounded like a little girl.

"You care for Emma, mi hermosa," Henry said, eyes fond. "And it upsets you that she may care for another like you care for her."

Nodding, Regina squeezed her eyes shut to fight off another fresh wave of hot tears.

"Are you quite certain they are in love, my princess?"

Regina swallowed hard and breathed in and out for a little while. She was _quite_ certain. It had seemed like it with the way they had spoken, and the way Daniel had cared for Emma outside. But she'd never actually been _told_ that they were in love. "It seems like it, Daddy," she honestly said, because she didn't know what else to say.

Henry stroked her hair, carefully, taking care of her as he gazed down at her with so much warmth in his eyes. "I would say, that that seems odd to me," he murmured, and Regina held her breath, "because from what I can tell, Emma cares about you, too."

"Perhaps she cares for Daniel more," Regina defiantly replied, averting her gaze.

"We shall see, my Regina," he whispered as he bent down to press a kiss to her forehead. His lips lingered, for just a second, before he pulled back. "Do not fret just quite yet." He smiled at her, cupping her cheek. "Take a rest from your studies today, Princess. Close your eyes and mend your heart. I'm sure it will all work out."

Regina blinked up at him, not quite sure how her father had just accepted her care for Emma so easily. There was something _wrong_ with her, she was sure of it, yet her father had just accepted it without blinking. "You don't dislike me?" she whispered instead, watching as her father pulled himself off the bed with a mild groan.

Henry chuckled; warm and fond, from the dept of his stomach. "I could never dislike you, mija," he promised, "never, no matter what you do."

A rush of affection surged through Regina's body, and she curled herself around her blanket and watched the door close behind him.

Regina was tucked up in her windowsill, blanket wrapped around her body as she stared out of the window. It was opened to a crack, letting the cool night air hit her face and calm her nerves. Her hair was wet and down; Tamara had been in to help soothe her with a warm bath earlier, but she was tired like never before, emotionally and physically. Her throat was sore from crying, and her stomach was churning. She wasn't hungry, she hadn't been all day. She was trying to settle down with a mix of herbal tea, but so far it wasn't working.

The stars shimmered beautifully in the sky, smiling down at her, but she was in no mood to enjoy them. Her mother was cruel to her earlier, despite her father's attempts to settle her and make her less upset; she had told Regina to study, told her to stop being such a child (despite not knowing what had Regina so upset in the first place), and then she had locked her securely inside her chamber; the bold sliding into the bracket.

Regina remembered fondly just yesterday when Emma had entered her chamber effortlessly, like there was no bolt or bracket at all. She wasn't sure how it was even possible, but that was yet another one of the things she cared so much for about Emma. She'd watched Emma and Daniel in the courtyard beneath her; Emma had seemed less vibrant today, slower in her movements, and Daniel had kept watching her, rubbing her arm soothingly.

She fought back another wave of tears as she thought about the two of them; she kept thinking that she was all cried out, but then she was hit once more, the cries spilling out of her without her consent.

She felt like life was impossibly unfair at the moment. Mother was growing meaner each day, grooming her for life in a boring castle next to a dull man – a life Regina not wanted or cared for. While Emma, the one she truly wanted, was in love with Daniel who could give her all the things that Regina could not. Oh, how she wished that life was kinder to her. Not often did she allow herself to pity herself or be pitied by others, but tonight was an exception. She could not force herself to snap out of it; she was stuck on that windowsill, in her cocoon of warmth, and she'd allow herself to stay there for the reminder of the night until she was too tired to stay awake.

Perhaps she should just accept the fact that she, Regina Mills, would never have happiness? Perhaps that was her destiny, and maybe she should just live with it. Let Mother do her plans; marry a prince or a king, so she could be Queen. Be a dutiful wife, have a boring life with wealth and see Mother pleased. She'd be able to remember Emma and this time of her life with fondness, think back on it as the good time of her life. And then just – accept that that was the way it had to be. That she could not have happiness.

Oh, how she _wished_ that she could have happiness.

A flash of light appeared in front of her, like a star from the sky above floating in through the crack in the window; suddenly, unexpectedly. Regina blinked, and the brightness settled around her, just as she realised that she was looking straight at a little person with bright, green wings – a fairy. Regina gasped. She had only ever heard of fairies; she had _never_ seen one. She knew they were real, but she had always thought that she was not one of the fortunate ones to have one of her own.

"Of course you can have happiness," the fairy said; her wings fluttered on her back as she soared in front of Regina's face. She had dust floating around her, and she was dressed in a green skirt, and had blonde curls. "No worries Regina, I promise you."

Regina stared at her. "Who _are_ you?"

The fairy smiled. "I'm Green, of course! But you can call me Tinkerbell, most everyone does," she explained as she settled on the sill in front of Regina, wings coming to a rest.

With a furrowed brow, Regina said, "Why are you here?"

"I'm your fairy godmother!" Tinkerbell proclaimed, and she stared at Regina like she was supposed to have one specific response to _that_ kind of announcement.

Regina's heart fluttered. "Oh."

Tinkerbell shook merrily, dust settling around her. "Let me just resize, real quick," she said, and before Regina had time to ask her whatever that might mean, Tinkerbell was standing in front of her – very much Regina's own size, and like a human – and clapping her hands. "Oh, that's better. Now, we can talk," she announced.

Regina was still not entirely sure what was going on, so she clutched her cup tighter and just stared at the blonde fairy.

"I heard your heart's wish, and I am here to tell you that you _can_ have happiness," Tinkerbell informed her. She hopped onto the windowsill next to Regina, getting comfortable in her seat.

With a furrowed brow, Regina asked, "My heart's wish?"

"For happiness," Tinkerbell clarified.

"Oh."

The fairy continued, clearly confused by Regina's lack of response, "I see it clearly in your heart: What you desire most is happiness. A _good_ life."

Regina blinked. She wasn't sure what to say. Tinkerbell was not wrong; she did want a good life, she wanted the life _her_ way, as she wished and longed for it to be. "But my mother wants other things for me," she said, and she carefully placed her cup on the sill between them. "We are not in agreement as to what a good life is."

"Oh, I know," Tinkerbell warmly said, and she reached forward to squeeze Regina's hands in her own. "I have watched your life – as your fairy godmother it _is_ my duty after all – and it has been a sad, sad life." She shook her head, curls bouncing around her shoulders, eyes shining with ferocity. "I know I am not supposed to intervene, because your fate has been laid out, but I could not stand to let you wonder any longer."

Regina gasped. "My fate?"

Tinkerbell nodded, a serious expression on her face. "Oh yes, Regina. Blue has mapped it all out, and it cannot be changed. There is darkness on your path; so many obstacles, so much pain-"

Regina frowned, jaw working beneath her skin. "Darkness? What do you mean?" At once, she was afraid of the life Mother had laid out for her.

The fairy nodded. "So much darkness, Regina. And Blue does not want me to tell you this, in case it ruins what is written in the starts, but," she paused, fingers squeezing tightly at Regina's, "I need to tell you. I _need_ you to know." She paused, eyes shining happily. "Happiness _is within_ your grasp."

With a loud swallow, Regina pulled her hands out of the fairy's and moved to stand on the floor in front of her. She was just in her night gown, and the room was cold, but she did not feel it. "Are you saying that I will someday find my True Love? The person I am meant to be with?"

"That is _exactly_ what I'm saying!" Tinkerbell eagerly announced.

Regina furrowed her brow. "But- _how_? I mean, Mother is-"

Tinkerbell stared up at her. "You will have to suffer first, Regina. Suffer at the hands of Cora and something entirely out of your grasp- and then, then I _promise_ you, that you will have happiness."

It felt like her heart was soaring. Tinkerbell might be telling her that there would also be pain and darkness in her life – but she was used to that; at the hands of Cora – but she was also telling her that there would be _love._ She could handle Cora for another few years if she knew that she would have True Love. The question was just- "Is it Emma Swan?" she eagerly questioned, and her heart was beating madly inside of her chest at the thought of it. "My True Love? Is it Emma Swan?" she begged as she stepped closer and squeezed at Tinkerbell's hands.

Tinkerbell opened her mouth to say something, but there was a sound on the other side of Regina's door; the bolt was being slipped out of the bracket, which could only mean one thing. Tinkerbell quickly pulled her hands away. "I have to go," she explained, and she was back to fairy size in an instant, a little blip on Regina's radar. "Hang in there, Regina," she said as she flew towards the crack in the window, a small shimmer on the night sky, "Just hang in there!"

And then she was gone; another shimmering star in the darkest of nights.

"Regina, Darling," Cora said as she entered the room, leaving the door wide open behind her. Regina could see Tamara standing timidly behind her, arms folded nearly in front of her, without a doubt dragged out of bed on a whim by Cora. "Are you done sulking now and ready to pack for your trip to Maldonia? Prince Philip is arriving early because his father has business to attend to there, so I have decided that you will arrive early, too. You depart in two days' time."

Regina stared at her mother, not sure what to say to that. The conversation she had just had with Tinkerbell ruminated in her mind, and she was not at all prepared to deal with Mother right now. She hugged her arms around herself in her thin nightgown. "Of course, Mother. Are we packing now?" She gazed towards Tamara behind her mother's intimidating form, and the handmaiden looked tired and worn, but she offered a faint smile to reassure Regina.

"Tamara will help you pack now. This will give me time to review your choices tomorrow and make sure you have chosen rightfully," Cora said. Her voice was cold, matter of fact, and she stepped past Tamara and towards the hallway. "I will see you tomorrow, Regina."

"Goodnight, Mother," Regina forced through her teeth, just as Tamara was dragging in her big, leather trunk, and Cora disappeared from view. As Tamara struggled to get the trunk settled in front of the closet, Regina rushed across the floor and closed the door, shielding them a bit from Mother's prying eyes and ears. "Did she wake you?" she asked Tamara as she took a seat on the foot of the bed.

Tamara opened her giant closet and turned around to look at Regina. "Not quite, Miss, I was reading in bed, waiting for Emma to return back from her trip with Mulan."

Regina felt her breath hitch. "Emma is with Mulan?"

"They went for a short trip to the lake, Miss," Tamara said. She turned then, and pulled a long light blue gown out of the closet and held it up for her. "Do you want to wear this, Miss?"

It was one of Regina's favourite dresses, one she had worn to different events, and she nodded eagerly. She liked the lighter colours, felt like they made her look better, and – most importantly – felt like they distanced her from Cora, who always liked to wear darker colours, mostly black. "Yes, thank you, Tamara," she said. Then she added, "What are Mulan and Emma doing at the lake?"

At least Emma wasn't spending time with Daniel right now, if she was spending time with Mulan.

Tamara shrugged slightly, something she would never dare do if Mother was nearby, and pulled another set out of the closet. "I am not quite sure. How about this for the trip?"

"It's fine, Tamara," Regina said and waved her hand. She was more curious about Emma and Mulan at the lake than about anything else. "Pack whatever you deem necessary, Mother will probably repack for me anyway in the morn." She waved her hand and fell backwards onto the bed with a deep sigh. _What_ was Emma doing at the lake – and with Mulan? Had she, per chance, forgotten something there last night that they had returned to retrieve? Or why would they go there, to – Regina frowned at this – be alone and out of earshot from anyone else?

"Yes, Miss," Tamara said, and she dutifully started stuffing Regina's trunk with dresses, riding clothes, nightgowns and undergarments. She was quiet for a while, and Regina stared up into the ceiling, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. Thoughts of Emma at the lake with Mulan were now mixed together with all the things that Tinkerbell had just told her; why had she not received a reply to her question about her True Love? She cursed Mother for interrupting at the exact moment that she did.

Now she might never know. At least not until the moment where she (hopefully) finally kissed her True Love. Could it be Emma? Regina felt in her heart how much she _wished_ and _hoped_ that it would be Emma, but there was also that churning feeling in her stomach and the scene she had witnessed today between Emma and Daniel. It had certainly seemed like _they_ might share True Love, but if they did – who could be _hers_? That was the question most prominent in her mind right now, because all she could think about was _Emma,_ who she longed for was _Emma,_ she was sure of it. The feelings inside of her chest could not be untrue, and her father had reassured her as much.

She knew she just had to have hope. She had to believe that if Emma was her True Love, her romance with Daniel would fade into nothing, and Regina could finally kiss her.

"Do you want me to get you ready for bed, Miss?" Tamara interrupted her, and Regina sighed heavily as she pulled herself off the bed.

She'd just have to have hope.

"Yes, thank you, Tamara."

Hope. It was easier thought than done.

* * *

A/N: The past many months, my wife and I have been trying to have a baby, and it's just not working out for us, so these past two months, I have been hit often by exhaustion and sadness (it is my body going through all of these things, as I have to carry); it hinders my motivation to write a great deal. Those of you who follow me on twitter already know this, but I just thought I'd let all of you know. Until now I have managed to write a chapter for every Sunday, and I hope this continues. I just thought I'd let you know, in case life gets too much and I can't make it one week. For updates, I'm on twitter as stessafanfic.

Next up – the tip to Maldovia.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Trigger warning: In this chapter there is a brief talk about the possibility of rape (no one gets raped).

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWELVE**

Emma stared down at the five berries in the palm of her hand.

She wasn't sure she had done the right thing by going back to grab them, but she _was_ sure that she wouldn't have done the right thing by not going back there either. She'd been hanging out with Mulan, fighting with wooden swords (although at this point, it was mostly Mulan doing the fighting, and Emma waving her off, because she was too tired to move), when they'd neared the lake side.

She _knew_ that it wasn't always a good thing to get what you desire most, but she had to know _what that was_ before she could even contemplate getting it.

She had to be sure. Certain. And the berries could give her that somehow, even if relying on magic was not something she was very proud of at all. And she, technically, wasn't relying on it yet, because she hadn't eaten any of them. Even if she might want to at some point.

They looked so real, like ordinary berries, and she was having a really hard time understanding how they could hold as much magic and power as Regina said they did. It was weird, because they looked like a regular snack.

The bean kicked happily inside of her belly, and Emma rubbed a hand over her stomach beneath the tunic. "I know, kiddo, I know," she whispered. The kid was just as confused about these berries as she was.

The worst part was, they were leaving within the hour, and it was going to be some trip by carriage. Her and Regina together for the long journey – with Tamara, too, because Regina could not attend any birthday ball without her trusty handmaiden – but Tamara was going to be inside the carriage for most of the trip, as it was not her responsibility to control the horses. Technicality it was not Regina's either, but Emma was not experienced enough to handle it by herself. Rocinante and Bug were the horses chosen to pull them, and Emma was fairly certain that it was going to be an easy trip; as long as there were no prying eyes, Regina could help her out front, just as she wanted to.

"Are you excited to get away for bit, little one," Emma hummed, eyes moving from the berries and towards the spot where her hand was rubbing her belly. It was growing by the hour it seemed, and she was contemplating telling Regina about it while they were on their journey, far away from anyone who were not supposed to hear it. "We're gonna see parts of this place we never even dreamed of," she continued, "and you're gonna grow up here, kid. So much better than I did, I promise."

Her eyes fell to the berries once more, the red skin on them taunting her in a way she had never experienced before. She _wanted_ to know, mostly for the bean's sake, she thought, what she longed for and if she could perhaps be lucky enough to get it, but – it was also so scary, because what if _what she wanted was out of her grasp_.

It would seriously suck if what she wanted was out of her grasp.

"Emma?"

Emma gasped as Tamara's head poked through the door, an excited glimmer in her eye, and a huge smile on her face. They had arranged it so that she could stop by to see her family as they lived in the Kingdom of Maldovia, too. Mrs. Mills did not know about this, but Tamara was so excited. "Yeah," Emma murmured as she sat up straight and reached for her satchel (borrowed from Daniel, because she still basically had nothing to call her own); her mere belongings were packed in there. All the clothes she would need for the journey.

Tamara eyed her curiously. "We're ready to go. The horses are at the carriage, and Regina has said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Mills."

"'Coming," Emma murmured, and as Tamara turned to leave the room again, she pulled herself off the bed and reached for her satchel. She stared down at the berries once more, red dots on the pale palm of her hand. With another sigh, she stuffed them into the front pocket of the satchel, hooked it over her shoulder and left the room with a slam of the door.

She was going to have to think on it.

It was a two days journey with well-planned stops along the way. Mrs. Mills had booked them a room at an inn overnight, so everything was wonderfully taken care of. So far, everything had gone smoothly; Regina had joined Emma up front as soon as they were out of sight of the estate, and even though Regina had seemed kind of off the past two days, she was now enjoying the ride. She was steering the horses and breathing in the fresh air, just as Emma knew she loved and rarely got to do, and honestly? Honestly, Emma was just enjoying the fuck out of watching her.

There was also a solemn shadow on her face; without a doubt the reminder that she would soon have to play nice to a prince she didn't care for, and Emma tried cheering her up along the way, even though it was difficult, because she did have her own thoughts to worry about. She was concerned about the bean and what the movement of the carriage might do to it, but so far everything had seemed alright. She thought about the alluring berries inside of her satchel, and she was queasy, but when wasn't she these days. However, the sun shone down happily between the tall branches, there were birds singing around them, and Tamara was reading happily inside the carriage, enjoying the opportunity to relax a bit more than she usually could. It was a good day. A wonderful day even, and Regina appeared happy to be able to steer the horses and do what she loved so much.

Emma however, could not tear her eyes away from Regina's face. Her beautiful, angelic face. Her hair was pulled back in two long braids for the travel, and she was wearing comfortable travelling clothes, having somehow managed to convince her mother that a dress was unnecessary and difficult to travel in. Emma thought she looked so beautiful, and her heart did this strange thing inside of her chest – something that she had come to realise was associated with looking at or being near Regina – and the berries taunted her from her satchel; called out to her, to let her know just _what_ exactly her biggest desire was.

"You're looking at me," Regina eventually breathed out, not tearing her eyes away from the road ahead of them. They had not met any travellers so far, but it was a possibility. There was also a risk they could be ambushed by bandits, but Regina had assured her that it almost never happened these days; they were some rather peaceful years in the Enchanted Forest right now.

Emma swallowed thickly, suddenly aware that her mouth ha gone very dry. "It's just," she stared at Bug's bouncing tail instead, "-I haven't seen you much these past two days." _Not since our night at the lake,_ she added mentally, but that thought went unsaid.

Regina licked her lip, tongue darting out for a swipe, before retreating back in, and Emma caught it out of the corner of her eye, even though she was very much trying _not_ to stare. "I've been busy planning for the trip," she replied. She did sound apologetic about it, but it also seemed like there was something she was not saying. "Mother has been relentless in prepping me for conversations with Prince Philip. It's been – frustrating."

Humming, Emma said, "Ah… okay." She wasn't sure what else to say.

Fingers clenching around the reins, Regina said, "But I assume you have had enough to do anyway? The horses, I mean. And _Daniel_ of course, he must have needed you."

Emma wasn't sure why Regina had almost sneered as she said Daniel's name, and she most definitely wasn't sure if she wanted to find out. "Uhm, yeah, I guess?" She shrugged and glanced briefly at Regina again. "I mean, he's been busy prepping the carriage and stuff. To make sure it ran smooth."

"And you haven't been spending extra time together?" Regina asked, eyes still trained firmly on the road ahead, almost as if she made it a point _not_ to look at Emma right now.

What was Regina getting at? Emma honestly had no idea. She shrugged. "Uhm – the regular amount of time?" She wasn't sure what else to reply, and it wasn't even an answer, because she had no clue as to what Regina was getting at. It was clear that the brunette wanted to know something, but Emma was just not following it.

Regina eyed her; she briefly turned her gaze away from the road and gave her a quick once-over, before her eyes retreated. "Hm," was all she said.

Emma furrowed her brow. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing," Regina quickly brushed her off.

With a swallow, Emma continued, "If I did something to make you mad, please tell me." She could not for the life of her figure out what it was if she had done so, because she had barely seen Regina since the lake. But perhaps that was the problem; perhaps Regina was mad because she did not like the advances Emma had made near the lake. But that was exactly _why_ Emma had no given in to what she thought she might want. Because she wanted to avoid _this,_ this madness, this _anger,_ this – whatever it was.

Regina's lips thinned. "I'm not mad."

Emma felt tears well up in her eyes at that, and lately it was just nothing that set it off. The bean was really playing with her hormones, and now tears were running down her cheeks. "Regina, _please,_ " she begged, and her voice cracked a bit, "I don't know what I did."

Turning to look at her in surprise, Regina's eyes widened as they landed on Emma's tear-strained cheeks. "Emma," she breathed, and just like that, all anger seemed to deflate out of her. She dropped one hand from the reins and swopped it across the seat to stroke Emma's knee. "I apologise, I've bene stressed," she murmured.

It wasn't the entire truth, Emma could clearly sense that, but it was some truth, and it was good enough for her. Because Regina was looking at her again, and there was warmth in her eyes. "Really?" she asked with a slight wobble of her lips. "I've missed you."

"Oh," Regina breathed out, and a slight flush went up her cheeks at that, "I've missed you too, Em-ma."

"Really?"

"Really," Regina assured her, and with another squeeze to the knee, she retreated her hand back to the reins. "Now, why don't I tell you about all the strange things we encounter here. That way, this trip can also be a learning experience for you."

Not able to hide her grin, Emma eagerly nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that," she said. Actually, she would have listened to everything as long as Regina spoke to her again. She pointed towards a strange bird watching them from a branch in a nearby tree. "What's that?"

Regina laughed. "Emma, that's an owl, don't tell me you don't have them where you came from, because I'm fairly sure they are universal."

"We do," Emma laughed, and Regina swatted at her knee, before she broke out laughing, too.

—-

They stopped for lunch around noon. There was a small clearing, and the horses could use the break, so the three of them climbed outside to find a patch of green grass to relax on and stretch their legs.

"I'm so hungry," Emma groaned as she fell onto the grass – lying down on her side to stretch her back but still safely hide her baby bump beneath her tunic. She was sweating a lot, as the sun beamed down on them mercilessly, but she could not take off her tunic. She wiped at her brow. "Did Mulan pack us anything good?"

"I will find something for us to eat in the trunk," Tamara offered. She pulled herself off the grass and towards the back of the carriage where there was a small storage room for luggage and such. This was where Mulan had told them she'd store all of the food they'd need for the journey along with Regina's enormous luggage. "What are you in the mood for, Miss?" Tamara asked Regina, always ready with the formalities whenever she was actually in the presence of Regina. "Cheese and bread?"

Regina replied, "That sounds fine, Tamara, thank you."

Tamara fidgeted with the lock for a second, fingers moving over the clasp and the handle, before finally getting it open. Emma was about to joke about how she could probably eat a horse, she was _that_ hungry, when a 100 pound, tightly curled teenager fell onto the ground in front of Tamara's feet. Tamara gasped and bounced back, while Regina opened her mouth in a silent 'o'.

Mulan stared up at them from where she was sprawled out on the forest ground. "Finally you _stopped_ ," she moaned as she turned over, grinning sheepishly.

"What the fuck," Emma laughed. Because _of course_ Mulan would sneak into the carriage.

Tamara reached a hand out to help her friend up. " _What_ are you doing here?"

Coming onto her legs, Mulan brushed off the dirt on her pants and shrugged. "I wanted to come. You were all going, what was I going to be doing back at the estate?" She hooked a thumb over her shoulder and continued, "I was hungry. I ate some cheese."

" _Mulan_ ," Tamara moaned, aghast. But she reached into the storage room nonetheless and pulled out the small basket that Mulan had placed in there earlier. "I hope you didn't squeeze the food."

Mulan grinned and rushed across the forest floor to sit down between Emma and Regina. "Hi guys, hope you don't mind." She seemed comfortable already, squinting against the sunlight as she brushed her hair back.

"You're stupid," Emma grinned, just as Regina said, "Certainly not. The more the merrier," which caused Mulan to break into a happy laugh.

Tamara placed the basket of food on the ground between them, carefully opening up the lid and handing out small napkins for them all. "Mulan can get some of my share of food, so you will still get yours, Miss," she told Regina with a worried smile as she offered her a selection of small cheeses wrapped in paper.

Regina took a piece, and firmly said. "Don't be foolish, Tamara. We will all split it equally." She took a piece out for Emma too and offered it to her. "And will you stop with the miss? Mother isn't here, and I'd like it for us to just be Tamara and Regina."

Brown eyes wavered for a second, and it seemed like Tamara had to think on it, before she nodded her head and sat down completely. "Noted," she replied softly, "thank you, Miss."

Regina eyed her strongly. "Thank you _who_?"

"Regina," Tamara corrected herself, and a small smile broke onto her face at that.

Mulan eyed them all curiously as she started breaking off pieces of the bread. Emma munched happily away on everything that was handed to her; too lazy to make an effort herself, but very hungry and wolfing it down. Mulan handed her an apple with a grin.

"So what is the plan after lunch?" Emma mumbled through her food. If she wasn't careful, she could fall asleep right then and there with the sun warming her face, and three of her four friends right next to her. She was very aware that she should probably be the one to know this due to the fact that she was technically the one in charge here, but she'd barely listened when Daniel had been giving the information to them yesterday. Regina had been right there next to her, so she hadn't really bothered to pay attention.

Regina daintily finished chewing her bread before she said, "We continue our journey until evening, and if there are no surprises, we should make it to Granny's Inn by our evening meal."

Tamara couldn't hide her smile. "We're staying at Granny's?"

"Mother said she had to pull some strings to get us two rooms," Regina said as she reached for a grape and plucked it off. "They are at full capacity due to the fact that everyone is travelling by to get to Maldovia."

"That's neat," Emma mumbled. Her eyes followed the movement, as Regina placed the grape in her mouth and slowly chewed. It was kind of frustrating how pink Regina's lips looked right now.

Mulan nudged her gently with a sharp elbow. "Very neat indeed," she said, and Emma was pulled out of her daze at once. "Should we get going? I don't think my pop will follow us to fetch me, but you never know." She grinned as she swooped forward to grab the basket and quickly gather their things. " _What were you thinking, Mulan_?" she mimicked as she moved to the carriage. " _I didn't know where you were, Mulan!"_

"And don't forget," Tamara added with a grin, " _You always do these things, Mulan!"_

Slamming the lid to the storage room shut, Mulan turned around and grinned goofily. "Hey, I left a note this time. Not like that time when I hid with that travelling circus because I couldn't let go of Dumbo!"

Emma paused, turning to look at Regina. She just _had_ to be sure. "Who was Dumbo?"

"Some elephant Mulan cast her love on," Regina replied, and it was clear that she found Mulan very amusing. "It was such a hassle when they had to get her back."

Emma pulled herself off the ground with difficulty; groaning and moaning as she used all her strength to stand upright. "Mulan is like the kid sister none of us ever had, huh."

Regina grinned, watching carefully as Emma came onto her feet. "Indeed she is," she replied, and her eyes scanned over Emma's body as she took her in. "Are you well? You've never appeared so out of breath before."

Alarmed, Emma quickly waved her off. "No, I'm, I'm _fine,_ just," she fidgeted with her hands, searching quickly for an excuse in her mind. "I'm out of shape, yeah? I should probably start running again."

"Running?" Regina questioned, and her brown eyes turned wide with confusion.

Emma nodded and carefully started climbing onto the front of the carriage. "Yeah, _running._ People in my world do that for fun and exercise and stuff."

Mulan's head poked out from the side of the carriage. "That sounds like _fun,_ " she proclaimed.

Tamara pulled her back in by the shoulder, "Just drive, will you?"

Regina and Emma laughed as they got settled on the seat and nudged the horses into gear.

—-

Emma was hungry by the time Granny's Inn finally came into view. There was a hustle and bustle outside, and it was clearly filled to the brim with people. They were right at the outskirts of Misthaven, as far as Emma could tell from her map that she still carried around tucked into her pants, and when they came to a halt outside the small stables, she was glad that Mrs. Mills had pulled some strings (or, Emma gulped at the thought, perhaps used some _magic_ ) to get them a spot, because there was only one empty slot for the horses – and it read _Reserved for Regina Mills._ They got all their things out and and locked the doors, while Regina said goodbye to Rocinante, who was already happily munching away on some hay.

Mulan grabbed Regina's heavy trunk, eager to show that she was of some help. "Let me carry this!" she announced, and as they went outside to walk the short distance to the inn, something finally caught up with Emma.

"Hold on," she said, and she grabbed Regina's wrist to stop her from walking.

Regina watched her curiously. "Yes, Emma?"

"What about the rooms?" Emma asked, eyeing her three friends with worry. "Mrs. Mills probably ordered one for you, Regina, and one for me and Tamara to share. Where will Mulan sleep?"

All colour drained from Mulan's face at that, and Tamara turned to look at her friend with worry in her eyes. Regina, however, always the pragmatist, said, "Perhaps they have another room available."

Emma glanced towards the inn once more, quite certain that they were _not_ going to have another room at hand just like that. "I wouldn't count on it…" she trailed off.

Mulan squared her shoulders. "I'll just go outside and sleep in the carriage," she said, and there was a very determined look on her face at that. "I can sneak into the stables and sleep in the carriage. I'm small, there'll be room."

"You _are not_ sleeping in a carriage, Mulan," Tamara quickly argued, and Emma turned to her in surprise, because she had actually thought that that sounded like a good idea. The cushion inside the carriage was very soft. "It's too dangerous," Tamara added, "There's might be stable men at ready in their shed so our horses and carriage do not get stolen, but this is not like where we live."

Regina whispered, "Why not?"

Tamara shook her head. "The people here? If they see a young girl like Mulan sleeping alone outside, they will not hesitate to… to climb into the carriage, and-" she stopped talking, but Emma honestly did not need her to say another word, because she got the gist of it. Apparently rape was something very common in parts of the Enchanted Forest as well – just like it was in the Land Without Magic.

Mulan's face had paled, but Regina still looked like one big question mark. "And what?" she asked, innocent as ever.

Emma did not want her to get her innocence ruined today, so she quickly brushed it off. "The carriage is not an option. We'll," she paused, licking her lips, "we'll take Mulan into our room. If we push the beds together, we can fit all three of us, yeah?"

"I'm very small," Mulan interjected, nodding eagerly. Emma desperately wished that she was her regular, small self right now too, but there was a giant bump on her belly. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to hide that, and why hadn't she thought about it before now. Oh, because she was used to sleeping in the same room as Tamara of course.

"No," Regina said and shook her head. There was a determined look on her face, and her beautiful jaw was squared. "Absolutely not," she added, and then she reached a hand out and grabbed one of Emma's inside of it. "Emma will sleep in my room. I'm certain Mother will have ordered me a big bed. Then we can all get a good night's sleep."

Emma's heart hammered desperately away inside of her chest at Regina's words; not only was Regina inviting her to say in _her_ bed for the night, which was honestly a dream come true, but at the same time, oh shit, Emma had a huge belly, a fucking baby bump. She bit her lip in worry, not sure what she was going to do about it, because this was the most logical solution at all.

Tamara softly asked, "Regina, are you sure?"

"As long as Mother doesn't find out," Regina murmured, and there was a flicker of something akin to fear on her face at that. Emma could only imagine what Mrs. Mills would do to her child if she found out that Regina had spent the night sharing a bed with the _stable girl._ If she found out that she let her handmaiden call her by name. If she found out just how much _fun_ Regina had with all of them on this trip.

Emma squeezed her hand tightly, and Regina's fearsome eyes met hers. "She won't find out," she promised, and Regina seemed to relax instantly at that. "I do snore though, I hope you can live with that."

Regina broke into a giggle and gave Emma's hand a squeeze back before releasing it. "I think I will manage, Emma," she promised, before she turned on her heel and set towards the busy inn.

Watching her leave; the swing of her hip, the sway of her hair, Emma wasn't sure that _she_ would be able to manage. All night, _that_ close to Regina was going to be a challenge. Not only did she have the bean to worry about, but she also had – had _these feelings_ that she wasn't even sure of to counter into the fact.

—

Granny was a scrappy older woman, who looked at them above the rim of her glasses like she knew that they were not supposed to be four people in those rooms. Her hair was greying at the roots, and she had her kid granddaughter running around the inn and causing a ruckus in her red cape. She let them eat their dinner without a word, however, and when they left the lunch room to find their rooms upstairs, she watched them go curiously.

When they saw the room Mulan and Tamara were to stay in, Emma was glad that Regina had offered her to stay with her, because she was not certain that they would have been able to fit three people in those ratty beds. Clearly, Mrs. Mills had spent as little as possible on the rooms for the help. When they'd said goodbye to their friends and ventured a little further down the hall, Emma could not hold in her gasp as she laid eyes on Regina's room.

There was a huge, luxurious bed in the middle of the room. They washroom was in the hallway, but they shared with only a few other rooms. Emma dropped her satchel on the ground and sat down on the bed with a happy sigh. This was even better than the one she had in her chamber back at the estate.

"Are you as tired as I am from the long journey?" Regina softly questioned as she closed the door to the room behind them and flicked the lock.

Emma groaned. "You bet. My bum is sore."

Regina hummed softly. "You're not used to traveling by carriage. You did well," she offered. She immediately got rid of her jacket and hung it carefully on the back of a chair in the corner. Her long braids fell down her back, and Emma's eyes landed on the muscles of her shoulders and back as she moved, now only dressed in her pants at the thin undershirt. She took a seat on the chair and started unlacing her boots.

Emma stood up to help her pull them off when necessary. "So how are we gonna do this thing? Do I need to sleep on the floor, or do we build a wall between us with blankets?" She bent down and took a good hold of Regina's boot.

"Whatever are you talking about?" Regina looked at her like she was completely insane. "We shall sleep in the bed like ordinary human beings. If you are so afraid of being near me, I should have offered Tamara to sleep here instead." She swatted Emma's hands away, averting her gaze as she focused on getting the boot off by herself.

What was she thinking about now? Emma swore, most of the time these days, she had no idea what Regina was going on about. "What? I'm not afraid of being near you." She nudged Regina's foot with hers, daring her to look up at her. "Why would you say that?"

Regina's jaw worked beneath her skin as she took her sweet time answering. "Well, since you want to build a _wall_ with blankets on the bed, I only assumed-"

"Are you insane?" Emma asked, whining slightly, "I suggested that for _you_."

"I will need no such wall," Regina said, and there was a certain sass to her voice that Emma had never heard before. She stood up from the chair and pulled the ribbons out of her hair. "I shall go wash myself off before turning in," she explained, and Emma watched as she bent down to grab her nightgown from her trunk.

Emma eyed her curiously. "I'll just – I'll just get ready here then," she murmured. She could not _wait_ to get her bra off. Unfortunately she'd have to sleep well dressed, but if she tucked herself beneath the covers before Regina returned, she could figure out a way to reverse it in the morning. Now, she just wanted to get out of her dirty, sweaty clothes and catch some sleep.

Regina straightened up and stared at her softly. "I'll never need a wall with you," she whispered. There was an almost pained expression on her face at that, her brown eyes filled to the brim with so many emotions that Emma could not read. They were clouded over, probably in need of protection, and Regina just watched her. "I only wished that you would not need one with me either," she added, and then she took a step forward and gingerly placed hand on Emma's cheek, cupping it.

"I- I don't," Emma forced out, but she could barely speak; all she felt was the warmth of Regina's skin on hers. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, forcing herself to breathe in and out slowly. "I don't need a wall with you."

Taking a step back, Regina dropped her hand from Emma's cheek. "Yes, you do," she whispered, and it seemed like it pained her so. "I'll be back in a while," she added, before she turned on her heel and left the room quietly.

Emma stared at the door for a little while, brow furrowed, as she tried to figure out what had just transpired between them. All day, Regina had been acting so off, and she could not put her finger on why that was. The last thing she remembered was a wonderful night by the lake, but perhaps that was what had _spooked_ Regina to begin with. Which was why she had suggested the wall of blankets in the first place; to make Regina feel safer, more secure, but – Regina _didn't_ want that wall at all. Emma really did not understand what was going on with her these days.

With a sigh, Emma moved to quickly discard her tunic and her undershirt. She pulled the tunic off her shoulders, quickly throwing it on the bed beside her. She stretched her arms and cracked her neck, enjoying the fact that for the first time that day she was _not_ overheated by too many layers, and then she grabbed the undershirt and quickly pulled it off as well.

Her belly protruded proudly, jutting into the room and away from her body. She placed a hand on it; pale skin against pale skin and stared down at it, at the stretch marks that were making red lines across her skin, and her belly button beneath her finger. "Are you doing okay," she murmured and rubbed it affectionately. She didn't know the little bean yet, didn't know what kind of person it was going to grow up to be, but she loved it already; loved it with all of her heart, and – she reminded herself – that was why she was doing all of this. "We're going to be okay," she promised, and for the first time in a while, she sounded sure. She just needed to tell Regina – Regina would know what to do, Regina would be able to help her, she was certain of it. Despite how odd she had been acting lately, Regina had to be able to help her with this.

Emma breathed in through her nose, taking just one more second to enjoy the air against her naked skin, as she mentally prepared herself for the next few steps. Off with the bra, on with the undershirt, off with the boots and pants, then under the covers. She could do this.

The door to the room was pushed open at that, and Emma practically jumped in surprise, entirely taken aback by the way Regina was entering the room – and how quickly.

"I seem to have forgotten my hairbrush," Regina lightly said, but she came to a halt when she saw Emma standing there, in nothing but her bra and pants. Regina dropped her nightgown to the floor, still dressed in her traveling clothes, and her eyes fell to Emma's belly. "Emma, you're with child," she murmured.

Scrambling to find her undershirt, Emma felt panic rise in her throat. Her heart immediately started thudding in her chest, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out which way to put her shirt on. "Uhm, Regina, I'm sorry, I-" she fumbled with the shirt, gaze trained on it. Somehow, it appeared to be inside out at the moment. "I was going to tell you. I mean. Daniel said that-"

The door closed, and Regina stepped closer. Her eyes were wide and trained on the belly. "But, Emma…" She raised her gaze then, brown meeting green, and it looked like someone had reached into her chest and squeezed her heart into tiny pieces. "You're going to be a mother."

"I know," Emma breathed, and her throat was feeling dry like the Sahara. She reached up and brushed a runaway blonde lock out of her eyes.

"You didn't tell me," Regina whispered, and her voice sounded so completely broken.

Emma wasn't sure how to read the look on her face. It was more than just betrayal, it was more than just surprise. There was something so much bigger at play here, and she could not put her finger on what it was. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and she reached a hand out to gently take Regain's. Reassuring. "I was going to. Soon. Daniel said that-"

Regina quickly ripped her hand from her grasp and took a step back. " _Daniel said that_?" she questioned, and at once, something seemed to make sense inside of her head. "Daniel. Of course," she averted her gaze. Her lips were thin, and her eyes were shiny. "Congratulations," she breathed as she turned to look at Emma again, "you and Daniel are going to be very happy together with your little family."

And at that she turned on her heel and stalked towards the door. She didn't grab her jacket, and she didn't grab her boots, but Emma was pretty sure that she was not just going back to the washroom.

"Regina, _what_ are you talking about?!" she yelled after her. She scrambled to get her undershirt on, watching Regina turn the corner and leave the room completely. "Regina – what a s _econd_." She hurried after her, unsure of what had just happened between them because she did not understand what conclusion Regina had just come to, and of all the ways she had imagined Regina reacting to the news of her pregnancy, this was most certainly not it.

She caught up with her in the hallway outside. "Regina, Regina, hold on," she begged, and she made a dash for her wrist, finger interlocking tightly around it.

A door opened somewhere in the periphery of her vision, and she was pretty sure she could make out Mulan's surprised gasp.

Regina turned around to look at her, and her face was one of absolutely pain, and there were tears streaming down her face. " _No_ ," she firmly said, and as she pulled her wrist away, sparks erupted on on their skin; white flicks of fire, and Regina barely offered it a glance, before she turned back around again and basically ran down the stairs.

Emma glanced at her fingers, slightly scorched by whatever had just transpired between them, and as she rubbed them together, it felt like fire was running through her veins. She was basically electric, and she could not tear her eyes away from the red indentations on the tips of her fingers.

"What just happened?" Mulan appeared before her, pulling her out of her own head.

"I'm not sure," Emma breathed, and when she looked at Mulan, the other girl looked very concerned.

She shuffled awkwardly. "You need to go after her, Emma, it's not safe out there for a noble." She shook her head to herself, shoulders squared, "Or if you don't want to, you have to let me."

Emma blinked. "I'll – I'll go," she said, because of _course_ she was going to go after Regina. She could not let her best friend – and the person she trusted most in the entire world – just leave like that. She'd looked so heartbroken, so entirely pained, and Emma _needed_ to fix it. Whatever it was that she had done, she needed to right her wrongs.

"Then _go,_ " Mulan urged her, and before Emma knew what was really going on, she was scrambling down the stairs in nothing but her undershirt, following her best friend who was not wearing shoes or a jacket, through the downstairs lunch room and into the cold, evening air.

Whatever had just happened between them, Emma was certain of one thing – she had to figure out a way to fix it, because she could _not_ lose Regina.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

A/N: I am not too pleased with this chapter, but it is an exiting one!

* * *

 **CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Regina ran across the darkened yard and towards the stable as she fought back the tears in her eyes. The pebbles nipped and cut at her bare feet, and she curled her arms around herself. It felt like her chest was bending in on itself, her heart shattered, yet hurting irrevocably so. She had _never_ felt pain like this.

Emma was _pregnant_ with Daniel's child. They were going to be a little family. They were probably going to get _married_ soon, they'd run away together to create a home, and _Regina_ would be left behind – without either of them.

The pain was excruciating; not even Mother's games and punishments could compare to the shattered feeling inside of her chest. Those punishments, Mother's magic, it was nothing, it was purely physical, and that Regina had learned to handle when she was very young. This however? This was _emotion,_ and Regina had never experienced that kind of utter torture before, had always just been disappointed by others, been hurt by her mother's demands and actions, but it was nothing compared to this, absolutely nothing.

Choking back a sob, Regina brushed past the shed where there was a sleeping night guard. She entered the stable quietly, needing to be close to Rocinante, who had always provided her with a certain calmness. When no one else had managed to calm her down, Rocinante had always been there for her; his warm muzzle, his soulful eyes. She could always count on him.

Rocinante was munching happily away on some hay when she closed the door behind her. Her feet were freezing from the cold ground, and she opened the hatch to his stall, creeping into the warmth with him, hay curling between her toes as she wrapped har arms around the horse's neck and hugged him tight. She breathed in his scent; comforting, familiar, _him,_ and closed her eyes.

"Oh, Rocinante," she murmured, and she felt him relax against her, letting her hug him with all she was worth. "Emma is never going to be interested in me, Rocinante," she continued to tell him whilst battling the tears in her eyes. A few escaped, but mostly her voice just quivered. "She is with Daniel now. I know we like him a lot, but I so wish she wasn't."

With a soft whinny, Rocinante replied to her. He had always been the best listener, without a doubt, and she'd taken advantage of that multiple times throughout her childhood. Whenever Mother had been horrible, she had crept into the stables to the horses. They had always provided her with a certain calmness that she had never been able to archive elsewhere. Once she had finally been big enough to ride herself, she had sought solace in the woods whenever possible. Mother had never been thrilled about it, but boy, had Regina loved it.

Her fingers itched to grab a satchel from the wall, along with reins to steer him, and just take off riding into the night. She knew it would make her feel better, being that close to Rocinante always did. And she needed to get away, she needed badly to just put the room she shared with Emma behind her and just live for a while. Live, before she had to return to the room and face Emma and all those horrible feelings stirring inside of her.

"Let's do it, Rocinante," Regina whispered and pressed a kiss to his neck. She did not care about the risks she knew were there, all she wanted to do was ride. She turned to exit the stall again, fully intend on getting out of there quickly, but as she did so, the door to the stable opened, and Emma slipped inside.

Regina froze, watching as Emma closed the door behind her. As the blonde turned around to look at her, Regina took in her stance and wondered – _how have I not noticed this before?_ Emma was pregnant, she was so visibly pregnant in her undershirt. Her belly jutted out from her body, her breasts almost spilling out of the tight cotton, and she stood there, more beautiful than ever, perhaps, looking just so, so pregnant.

Her green eyes scanned over Regina's stance, settling on the open hatch. "What are you doing?"

Brushing past her and towards the back wall, Regina didn't care whose saddle she borrowed; all she knew was that she had to get out of there. "I am going for a ride," she said. She stopped in front of the back wall, perusing the saddles.

Emma gasped. "What?" she hissed, and Regina could hear her follow directly behind her, boots tapping against the ground. "No you're not," she firmly added.

Regina rolled her eyes to herself and made a grab for the nearest saddle. It was not going to be the best trip as it was not Rocinante's own, but it would have to do. "Yes."

"Are you insane?" Emma snapped, and she swatted Regina's arm away gently. "You can't go out there. There can be rapists and shit!"

Turning her head to look at her, Regina schooled her features as if not to appear too sad – but more determined. It flared within her; the hurt had somehow turned into something else, and she hated that Emma was with Daniel, hated that she was not interested in _her_ when Regina was right there, wanting her with all of her heart. "I don't care. I need to ride," she firmly said, before she ducked under Emma's arm to get to the saddle.

"Regina, _stop_ ," Emma murmured, and she sounded more desperate than Regina had ever heard her before.

"No."

"Please just listen to me for a second," Emma begged, and she locked her hands around Regina's wrist. Her fingers clasped tight, warm and strong, and Regina paused with her eyes trained on that damn saddle. " _Please,_ " Emma added, and Regina bent her head and turned back around.

Brown eyes met green, and Regina was taken aback by the pure love and desperation she saw edged in there. "What," she murmured. She felt her shoulders relax, her anger deflate as she looked into Emma's eyes. She could never be mad at her, not for being pregnant, not for loving Daniel. It wasn't Emma's fault, it was just the way it was.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was pregnant," Emma breathed, and she swayed slightly on her feet, resting a hand on top of her round belly. "I didn't mean to keep it a secret from you, I just – I wasn't sure _how_ to tell you."

Licking her lips, Regina felt herself soften. "Why didn't you just say it? It's not that hard," she added.

Emma's jaw twitched, her brow furrowing slightly as she pondered that for a second or two. "I guess I was scared," she murmured, her gaze flickering slightly.

Involuntarily, Regina stepped closer to her, reaching a hand out to stroke hers gently. "You should never be scared of me," she replied. Never, not ever, did she want Emma to be scared to tell her things. This was something she would have understood – sure, it would hurt no matter how and when Emma told her, but she would have rather it didn't be like _this._ Emma was quite far along as far as Regina could tell, which meant that she'd been pregnant while Regina had struggled with her feelings, trying to figure out what her feelings meant and how to deal with them. If Emma had been honest about her and Daniel months ago, perhaps Regina could have handled this differently. Perhaps she could have avoided the heartbreak currently whipping up a storm inside of her.

There was an almost inaudible hitch of breath. "I didn't want you to reject me," she revealed.

"Oh." Regina wasn't sure what else to say. Her heart was, for some reason, speeding up inside her chest, almost beating rapidly with hope, because what was Emma talking about?

Emma swallowed loudly. "I could not go on without you, Regina, I wouldn't know how to. You're… you're my steady ground. I feel safe with you."

Regina drew in a sharp breath. "But don't you have Daniel? He'll care well for you, I'm certain of it."

Emma was quiet for a moment as she regarded Regina with a soft look. It was clear that something was going on inside of her head. "Why did you say that Daniel and I are going to be very happy together?" she then asked. "What did you mean by that?"

Regina paused. "Uh," she licked her lips. "Because I think that you will be. I mean, with the baby and everything."

"Regina," Emma murmured, shaking her head softly as she reached forward to grab Regina's hand tightly inside of her own, "Daniel is not the father."

Gasping, Regina's mouth fell open as she stared at Emma. Daniel was not the father? But – _how_? She bit her lip. "But-" she paused, breath hitching. "Then who's the father?"

Emma shrugged, brushing it off quickly. "Some guy from back home. He was a creep, and he doesn't matter." She squeezed Regina's hand once more, and it felt like electricity surged through them at the touch. "What matters is _you_. Me – us, I guess."

"Us?"

"Hell yeah," Emma said, and it felt like Regina's heart skipped at beat by the sheer eagerness in her eyes. "I'm _not_ with Daniel, Regina. I have _no_ idea why you would even come _close_ to that conclusion, because I'm in no way interested in him, and I just find it so cra-"

Regina cut her off, "You're _not with Daniel?_ But I heard him consoling you!"

Emma squeezed her hand again, clutching it to her chest. "He was helping me about the baby! He was trying to get me to tell you, because he _knows_ how much you mean to me, he _knows_ how much I love you!"

With a gasp, Regina stared at Emma as silence fell around them in the stable. "You love me?" she questioned softly.

Chuckling softly, Emma said, "Yes. I _do._ Regina, I love you, I love you so much, and honestly it's freaking me the fuck out, because I _cannot_ figure out if you feel the same!" She dropped her hand, taking a slight step back as she started pacing back and forth. "I mean, one moment I think you'd like to kiss me-"

"-Emma-"

"-and then the next I'm sure you don't. And I've been doubting myself-"

"-Emma-"

"-doubting myself so fucking much, because I don't want to _lose_ you, and I just-"

" _Emma_!"

Emma stopped and turned to stare at her. " _Yes_?"

Regina couldn't bite back her smile. Elated, she grinned, "I'd like to kiss you."

"You would?" Emma looked at her in surprise, green eyes wide and a goofy smile coming out to play immediately.

Taking a step closer, this time Regina was the one to grab Emma's hands and tuck them inside her own. "I've been dreaming of nothing else," she whispered. Her thumb brushed gently over the side of Emma's wrist, tingles erupting everywhere they touched.

Emma's goofy smile turned into a soft one. "I've been so confused. I mean – I even went back and grabbed those berries because I wanted them to _show_ me what I wanted, because I started doubting myself. It was so messed up, I mean. I didn't _eat_ them, but-"

"Don't eat them," Regina interrupted her quickly, for the umpteenth time in the last ten minutes. "I'm sure you don't need them. If you're not with Daniel, I don't care about anything else." She stepped closer, tugging at Emma's hands. "I mean, I'm sure Mother will have a hissy fit because it is unbecoming for me to care for the stable girl, but Emma…" she paused, hand coming up to cup gently at Emma's cheek, "I care so much for you. I might even love you."

With a loud swallow, Emma leaned into her touch. "But what about the baby?"

Regina chuckled. "I'll love them just the same."

Emma gazed at her, warm eyes and foolish grin, and she stepped even closer – impossibly so – slightly taller than Regina, especially because Emma was wearing boots and Regina was barefooted. "You're some kind of wonderful," she whispered, and Regina practically felt the ghost of her lips before they even touched.

Anticipation rose in her throat, and it surely felt like her entire body was shaking, because Emma's lips pressed gently against hers. She'd never been kissed before, not romantically, and never on the lips, and as she tried it for the first time, she was quite certain that she'd like for Emma to kiss her for the rest of time. Dry lips moved against her own, and Regina breathed in through her nose, her body bending slightly forward to accommodate the baby growing inside of Emma. She gasped, breath hitching, and as Emma moved to pull back, Regina was not ready for her to do so.

She grabbed at Emma's hips, eager for the feeling to continue. "No-no-no-no-no," she mumbled, barely removing her lips from Emma's. Noses brushed, breaths mingled. It was incredible.

"Bossy," Emma chuckled, but she kissed her again, this time with more fervour.

Regina had no idea what she was doing, but she followed Emma's lead. Eyes closed, she felt Emma's hands travel up her back and towards the nape of her neck, fingers tangling in her loose hair, curly from the braids, not combed yet, for she had forgotten her brush in the room. Suddenly, she was not so cold anymore, yet goosebumps rose on her arms, and heat was spreading through her body. It moved from her core throughout her limbs, and as they kissed, their lips parted, Emma's tongue making a tentative entrance into her mouth.

Regina moaned, quite taken aback by the sudden change, and why had she and Emma never kissed before? She was quite certain she could get used to this very quickly. She thought about their disagreement in the room, about how Emma had suggested they build a wall between them on the bed, and suddenly Emma's hesitance the last few weeks made sense, her reluctance to get too close, because she had been _pregnant._ The baby had been creating this wall between them because Regina had not known and Emma had not been able to tell her so.

As Regina pulled back, their foreheads came to rest upon each other. She was slightly out of breath, but it felt like she was flying. Emma _cared_ for her, Emma had just _kissed_ her, and there was a little baby – Emma's little baby – coming sometime in the near future. Regina had always wanted to be a mother, for as long as she could remember, and what did it matter that she was not the one to birth the child. Emma would – it would be hers and Emma's, at least it could be. She could have that family that she had been jealous of Daniel for having.

"We need to get back to the room," Emma softly whispered, pulling Regina out of her train of thoughts about the future and a small cottage in the woods. "We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow, and you nobles need your beauty sleep."

Regina gasped, but she saw the playful glint in Emma's eyes. "Can we not just stay here? I do not want to attend this ball when I have to play nice with Prince Philip."

Emma stroked her hair. "I know, sweetheart," she murmured, and Regina's insides basically did a flip by the term of endearment. "But you need to. We don't want your mother to have any reason to get mad at you. She'll find out about my pregnancy soon enough, and I'm pretty sure I'll be kicked to the curb. No one needs a pregnant stable girl."

Pulling back, Regina saw the conflict in Emma's eyes, and all she could think about was the fact that Emma was _not_ leaving their estate. She could never live with herself if Mother turned Emma away in this time of need. Besides – she wanted Emma with her. If Emma were to leave, how would they see each other again? How would they kiss each other and be together? She jutted out her chin. "You will not. Once I return home, I will talk to Daddy. He will help us, _I know_ he will."

Doubt covered Emma's face. "You think?"

"I'm quite certain," Regina replied. "He already knows I'm… fond of you," she added. Shy, she ducked her head to avoid meeting Emma's gaze.

Warm fingers interlaced with her own. "Does he now?" Emma teased.

Regina gasped. "Yes," she said. "He will know not to send you away as that will break my heart. We'll figure it out, Emma. I promise you."

Emma still looked uncertain. Her pale face was marred with doubt, and her eyes conflicted. She looked tired, too, and they best be getting back to their rooms to get some much needed sleep. Regina squeezed her hand. "Do you trust me?" she whispered, locking their eyes.

"I trust you," Emma replied, and that was that.

—-

They were on the road again early the next morning. They had had a wonderful sleep in the bed together, cuddled closely in a tight embrace, and Regina had been allowed to inspect Emma's impressive belly before they blew out their candles. She had traced the red lines on her skin, touched her near the navel and received a tiny kick in response. _That's totally normal,_ Emma had said, _the bean must really like you._ She had gasped in wonder and searched her skin for another kick.

They had also kissed some more before finally falling asleep, and Regina had almost forgotten the sparks that had erupted between them when Emma had tried to grab her wrist yesterday in the hallway outside their rooms. She'd forgotten them until this morning when she saw the scorched marks on Emma's fingertips, and even though Emma had assured her it was probably nothing, Regina could not stop thinking about it as they journeyed the rest of the way to Maldovia.

She had stashed Emma inside the carriage – much to the confusion of Mulan and Tamara, although Mulan did eye her knowingly when she joined Regina outside – and she steered the horses by herself while thinking more on those scorch marks. Mulan was a wonderful companion like that, because she was quiet next to her, barely saying anything. The younger girl had always been able to read body language very well, and she knew when words were not necessary. It was something Regina admired greatly about her.

The sparks scared her however – because there was only one reason she could come up with for them. It was a reason she wanted nothing to do with, something she _loathed_ more than anything. Mother had magic, and it caused nothing but destruction, nothing but harm. Regina had learned to hate it a long time ago, and she'd never wished to get close to it. She had experienced it before, seen its marks, its damages, and she knew what it looked like.

It was magic. She was _sure_ of it.

The question was just – how was it magic? Magic was occurred out of nothing, it usually stemmed from True Love or it often ran in families. But her mother had learned it by studying, which meant that Regina shouldn't have inherited it from her, and her parents were not True Loves – she was certain of this. While her father might love her mother like that, she was _sure_ her mother had always loved another. She could not have been born with magic because of True Love, which meant that – at least according to her calculations – Emma was the one who had done the magic. That, however, did not make any sense either. Emma was not from the Enchanted Forest, so how could she have magic? She was certain that True Love did not work in the Land Without Magic, and Emma wouldn't have had time to _study_ magic here.

Which made it all fall back on her again. Regina frowned and stared down at her hands that were clutched around the reins. They appeared entirely normal and not at all magical. She dropped the reins from her left hand and turned it over, staring at her blunt nails, her knuckled, the lines of her palm. They didn't even feel magical.

But then how could the magic have happened?

Emma's hands had been so soft as they combed through her hair, as they trailed down her arms and ghosted over her stomach. They were magical in an entirely different way; in the way they had made Regina feel so wanted and cared for. How _Emma_ had made her feel so wanted and cared for.

Regina dropped her hand back to her lap and let out a deep sigh. Emma was truly something wonderful, and she could almost not believe that they were finally together. She wasn't really sure what all of that meant, all she knew was that once you had kissed like _that_ you had to be together, right? No one shared a kiss like that and it meant nothing.

Plus – Emma had told her that she _loves_ her.

Grinning goofily, all thoughts and concerns of magic were suddenly out of Regina's head as she was reminded of Emma's heartfelt words.

Mulan nudged her in the side with an elbow, effectively pulling her out of her own head. "What's got you suddenly grinning like that?"

With a flush, Regina bent her head. "Oh," she murmured, "it's nothing."

"Nothing?" Mulan asked with a blank expression. "I'd thought it might be Emma?"

Regina turned to her with a gasp, fingers tightening around the reins. "Emma?" she breathed, "Why would you think it might be Emma?"

Mulan stared at her with a raised eyebrow, an expression that read _are you serious?_ and Regina whined softly, biting her lip to keep her foolish grin from making itself known. Mulan poked her in the thigh with a pointy finger. "Come _on,_ Regina. Tamara and I are not stupid, you know? We can see how much you care for Emma."

Frowning, Regina said, "You can?"

"She obviously cares for you back," Mulan continued, as if that was the most obvious thing in the entire world. "Don't worry by the way, we won't tell _a soul_. Can you imagine if Mrs. Mills knew? Whew." Mulan shook her head to herself.

Fingers tightening even further around the reins, Regina felt panic rise in her throat at the mere thought of that. Gosh, if Mother knew _– if Mother knew?_ Regina could not even begin to imagine the horror. Cora was ruthless – even in the way she handled her own daughter; Regina remembered every physical punishment vividly, had marks on her body – the most prominent one being the scar on her lip – and on her soul. And she knew – _she knew!_ \- without a doubt that her mother would stop at nothing to get at Emma if she found out. If she were cold enough to string her own daughter to a tree by its own branches, what wouldn't she do to the stable girl? And there was a baby inside of Emma to take into account too – Regina could not let anything happen to either of them. She was determined to keep the safe and not let them down.

She just was not certain that her mother would care at all for what she wanted.

"Regina," Mulan said, brushed a warm hand over Regina's knee. "Don't worry so much. You can count on us. We're just so happy for you and Emma, yeah? It'll all work out, I'm sure of it."

Regina was pretty sure it was not going to be that easy, but she nodded anyway and squinted he eyes against the late afternoon sun. She'd just have to have hope that it would, that they could somehow find a way to make it work. And if not, if her mother was showing signs of evil, she'd have to pack a satchel with Emma and _run._ To where, she wasn't sure. But she was certain that if she just had Emma, it would be fine regardless.

Mulan reached beneath her tunic at that, clearly reading the frown on Regina's correctly. She did not want to talk about this anymore as it was too worrying. Pulling out the map that Regina had gifted Emma months ago, Mulan smoothed it across her lap and changed the subject, "Let's see… According to this map, there's a clearing up ahead quite close to the town around Maldovia. We should be able to see it from there, and I believe it would be a good place for you and Emma to make the switch, so that no one sees you like this."

"That sounds like a plan," Regina replied, and she pulled at the reins, searching for the small fork in the road that she was certain would be there. She almost missed it too, if not for Mulan's quick reflexes, and as they came to a stop near the cliff's edge, Regina jumped off the carriage and stretched her legs and back. Pulling her arms above her head, she stared at the castle in the distance, towering above the village, she could clearly make out small figures milling about, carriages the size of coins moving towards the castle.

They were going to be there within the hour.

Arms sneaking around her waist, she felt the bump of Emma's stomach before she felt her warm breath against her neck. "Is that it?" Emma softly asked.

Regina leaned into her as well as possible, her own hands coming to rest upon Emma's. "Yes. That is Maldovia's Royal Castle. We will be there soon. I am not quite sure how it is going to be once we are in the presence of all the royals and nobles, but I promise I will try to make sure we get some time together." She tilted her head backwards, meeting Emma's glistening green eyes.

"I know," Emma whispered, and she pressed a light kiss to her lips – still such a new and exciting feeling, yet comforting all the same – before continuing, "but don't worry, okay? I don't want us to get caught, so you better please your mother. I'll be fine. I've got Mulan, and you've got Tamara. Most of the time anyway, yeah?"

They pulled apart slightly, glancing back at their friends – well, Regina's servants really, but mostly her friends, she thought – who were arguing quietly next to the carriage.

"We will be stopping by Tamara's house on the way. I have told her not to hurry too much, she will help me at the castle whenever she can," Regina replied. She knew her mother would get quite mad if she found out, but the smile of excitement on Tamara's face was all worth it. Her handmaiden needed time with her family and her ill father. Regina would figure it out; she didn't even want to go the ball to begin with.

"You're amazing," Emma whispered into her ear, before kissing her lips again.

Regina hummed into it, smiling softly as she pulled back. "We'll be fine, will we not?"

Emma pulled her closer, staring down at the castle with some trepidation. "As long as have you, I am quite certain that I will be," she whispered.

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think please? Your comments keep me very motivated as it's always nice to know that someone is reading. Find me on twitter as stessafanfic – and I'll see you next Sunday for the ball!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

A/N: The last scene in this fic is of the explicit kind, so if you're not into that, you might want to skip to the bottom.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

It was awfully boring trying to make nice with Prince Philip and all of the other royals and nobles. Regina loathed every second of it. She felt like their conversations were mindless, their interests plain, and all she longed for was to escape away from dinners and tea parties to find Emma in the stables.

Prince Philip had received her letter by carrier days before, and although he had read it, the young prince seemed much too interested in fantasies of slaying dragons than striking up a conversation with her. It was all the same. At least she could tell Mother that she had tried, and that Prince Philip was simply not old enough to be interested in scouting for a wife.

Regina did get to see Princess Abigail, King Midas' daughter, who was one of the only royal princesses that Regina had ever been able to make nice with. She had her nose in the sky and was terribly mean to everyone she did not find worthy – thankfully, she had accepted Regina years ago when she had helped her out of an embarrassing situation with a dress. They did not have much in common however, because all Abigail cared for was boys and gossip, and all Regina cared for was Emma and horses.

The night before the big ball, Regina snuck Emma into her chambers once darkness had settled. Tamara was with her family, and Mulan was fine to cover for Emma if needed, so Regina and Emma had agreed for the blonde to tap five times on Regina's chamber door as to let Regina know it was her.

Those five taps came terribly late, for Regina had been missing Emma all day – only casting small glances, sharing chaste touches and few words between lunch and afternoon tea. But once she heard the five knocks in quick succession, Regina rushed to the door and pulled Emma inside before flicking the lock into place.

"Hello," Emma greeted her with a sheepish grin, and then Regina moved forward to press their lips together.

With a yelp, Emma fell into her embrace, and Regina wove her hands into Emma's hair, fingers tangling in a messy braid, and Emma's skin hot beneath her touch. Cold fingers sought out her hips; they were freezing even through her thin nightgown, and Regina gasped at the sensation. Her nightgown was not made of much, and it was almost as if Emma's fingers were touching her bare skin. She warmed at the thought; Emma touching her more intimately was something she had only had dreams of, but it was something – she had come to realise – that she really _wanted._

She could only imagine what kind of sensations she would experience if Emma ever slipped off her nightgown and touched her in places she had never been touched before.

"Come to bed with me," Regina whispered, and she stepped backwards, sitting herself down on the edge of the mattress and patting the bedding.

Emma wavered. Her green eyes shone excitingly, but her front teeth were digging into her bottom lip. "Regina, I don't think-" She stopped talking, apparently not sure what to say to her.

Regina grinned. "I don't want you to make love to me, Emma. I don't think I'm quite ready for that." She leaned back in the bed, crawling backwards until she was spread across the bedding. She was not even quite sure what making love meant, just that it was something she wanted to share with Emma. "But I do want to be close to you. So come to be with me, please."

Grinning, Emma pulled her tunic over her head. "Alright," she said, and the tunic landed on the floor next to her. She took a moment to unlace her boots, but then she was crawling onto the bed, landing awkwardly, and with a huff, next to Regina. "I'm such a whale right now," she moaned.

"You're the most beautiful ever," Regina whispered as she leaned over, one hand moving over Emma's belly, and the other supporting her weight as she moved to kiss her. Their noses brushed.

Emma groaned. "You haven't seen me before. I was hot. Should've seen my guns."

Regina furrowing her brow. "Guns? What is a gun?" she breathed, her lips tingling as they brushed over Emma's. This kissing was quite addictive, and she could not get enough of it. She imagined it probably wouldn't be like that with anyone but Emma, not that she wanted to try at all.

"Never mind," Emma whispered, and she reached a hand up to brush Regina's hair back. "I think you're the most beautiful anyway. Way more than me," she added, and she leaned up, catching Regina in another kiss.

It was slightly awkward because of the way Regina had to lie on the side to accommodate Emma's belly, but it was tingling nonetheless; creating shudders and electricity all over Regina's body. Everywhere they touched, she felt it sparkling to life, and she just wanted to feel it _more_. She wanted to experience it again and again, and she moaned softly into Emma's mouth as their lips parted and Emma's tongue sought out hers. Her fingers traveled on their own accord, eager and spurred on by the loveliness of Emma's kiss, and soon she was brushing her fingers over Emma's breasts without having even realised it.

The response she received was instant; Emma moaned loudly into her mouth, and Regina felt something stiff and hard beneath her palm – what could only, she realised, be Emma's nipple, standing to attention like Regina's own did when it was cold outside. She paused, pulling back slightly with wide eyes and her mouth slightly agape.

"S-sorry," she stammered, looking down at Emma, "I didn't mean to, I was just-"

"No, no, no," Emma quickly breathed, shaking her head against the bedding as she brushed Regina's cheek with a thumb. "Don't apologise. It felt _good._ Like – very good."

Regina stared down at the breast, brown eyes focusing on the stiff bud she could make out through the white undershirt. "Oh," she whispered. She had thought of Emma's breasts many times – often in shame as she struggled to fall asleep at night – but she had never really been sure if it was normal to be _this_ fascinated with a part of another person's body. Apparently it wasn't that unnatural at all? She swallowed loudly, "It's alright to touch?"

Nodding, a sheepish grin made its way across Emma's face. " _Yes,_ " she breathed, "yes, damn, Regina. You can touch _all_ you want. I don't want you to feel as if you have to, but I want you to know it's okay. You can explore all you want. I know I'll enjoy it all."

"Oh," Regina repeated, and she tentatively reached her free hand up to cup Emma's breast gently. It fit in the palm of her hand, and she liked the feel of it. She was sure it would be even better without the fabric in between. To be honest – she could imagine touching it with her mouth too, wrapping her lips around it. She shifted slightly on the bed as heat coiled in her stomach, and a surge of warmth gathered between her legs. "I – I think I'd like to just kiss," she murmured, but she didn't withdraw her hand.

"Then let's kiss," Emma murmured, and she pulled Regina's head towards her own again, nudging gently with a palm to the back of her head, and Regina smiled into their kiss.

She did not remove her hand.

—-

"Regina, can I have this dance?"

Regina eyed the suitor with disdain. "No, thank you," she replied as she waved the prince off. This one was no more than ten, and she was _not_ dancing with him. She was not dancing with anyone tonight, not if she could help it. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes to see if she could catch a glimpse of Emma somewhere.

Abigail rose an eyebrow, "That's the fifth prince you've sent running tonight, Regina. What are you doing?" She took a sip of her drink, her blonde hair shining beautifully in the lights from the party.

"I do not wish to dance with him," Regina replied as a matter of fact. If Mother _knew_ – gosh, if Mother knew – she'd lock her up for weeks inside her chamber. Regina could only hope that Cora did not have spies at the party to report back to her, but if she did? If she did, Regina knew that Emma could somehow open the bolt from the bracket, and so that be it.

Humming, Abigail continued. "No, I mean, I understand it, Regina, I do," she waved to her handmaiden who came rushing to her with a napkin, patting it gently across her forehead to catch even the smallest hint of a sweat. "But you're not a royal, so you need to keep that in mind if you want to get somewhere in life." She waved her handmaiden off without a thank-you, and the poor girl took her place next to Tamara near the wall.

Regina shot her own handmaiden an apologetic look. "I'm quite certain I'll get exactly where I need to be without dancing with silly princes," Regina told her friend, and her mind wandered off immediately, thinking of Emma next to her last night, sleeping soundly until she snuck out before dawn. She wasn't sure how she knew that she was going to get there – and with Emma nonetheless – but she just _knew._ Tinkerbell had told her she would suffer before she found her True Love, but she was starting to think that the silly fairy did not know what she was talking about at all. Sure, she had suffered, but she had found Emma, hadn't she?

"Hm," Abigail replied, and she dropped her glass off at a nearby table. "I will go see if I can find Prince James. Father wants me to make nice." And then she trotted off, barely able to walk in her high heels and her giant gown.

Staring down at herself, Regina perused her own gown. Much simpler than most of the other girls', she was dressed in faint yellow. It wasn't as big and puffy as most of the other dresses worn at the ball, but rather simple and elegant, with lace bindings and white slippers. It was the dress that had made Emma smile the brightest when Regina had showed her options to her. Speaking of Emma – Regina glanced up again, wondering where she was at. Emma had promised to sneak in with Mulan, and she had borrowed a tuxedo from Daniel, while Mulan her been smart enough to pack her prettiest dress, although dresses, she'd told Regina, were really not her favourite thing to wear.

A warm breath ticked her neck. "Hi pretty lady."

With a gasp, Regina felt herself blush at Emma's sweet words. She tilted her head backwards, her lips barely a hair's breadth from Emma's, her hand gently touching her hip. "Emma," she whispered, her eyes wide as she glanced into the blonde's green ones. "You surprised me."

Emma grinned. "Yeah." She pulled back, stepping to the side and gingerly letting go of Regina's hip. "Are you having fun?"

Regina glanced at Emma, her belly barely visible with the way she had buttoned Daniel's oversized tuxedo jacket. "I was missing you," she gently replied. She knew that people would be able to overhear them, so she could not be as honest with Emma as she would have liked. No one knew who Emma was however – which made her feel slightly better to be standing this close to her.

"We had to sneak in," Emma grinned, a sheepish smile marring her face.

Mulan sneaked up on Regina's other side, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. "We look good, but we thought it safer to sneak past the guards. How do you like my dress?" She did a curtsy – a slightly messy one – but Regina thought she looked very pretty.

She smiled. "You look very nice, Mulan," she assured her.

With a wicked smile on her face, Mulan grabbed Abigail's discarded glass and took a sip. She made a face – not used to the taste – as she glanced around the room "So where's Princess Tiana? Isn't it her ball?"

"She hasn't made her entrance yet," Regina informed her. She glanced towards the dance floor, where Abigail was dancing with a younger boy – presumably Prince James – her gown swishing around her ankles as they stepped to the music. "A Princess is always fashionably late. Especially one as beloved as her."

Emma grinned, glancing around the the room as well. "And where is your Prince… Philip was it?" She eyed Regina insistently, having told her to address the prince and do what Cora wanted her to, but Regina was not going to. She had no wishes to speak to him, she only had eyes for Emma, and she did not want to hurt her in any way by talking to some _boy._ Although Emma had said several times that she ought to, and that Emma herself would not be hurt by it.

Regina turned slightly over, her body tilting towards the other end of the room. Beneath the big arches that made out the windows, Prince Philip stood among his noble friends, a mere child still, and Regina regarded him at a distance, not quite believing that Mother wanted her to court _him._ Why court a boring child Prince when she could _kiss_ Emma in her bed and touch her and make the prettiest sounds escape her plump lips?

Mulan gasped, her gaze at Prince Philip and his friends as well. "Who's _that_?"

"Who?" Regina asked. There were so many children among Prince Philip – most of them probably Mulan's age or a bit younger – so Mulan could be referring to whomever.

" _Her_ ," Mulan murmured, and her usually stoic face was barely able to hide her mesmerisation. "That girl with the red hair and the silver gown."

Regina's eyes scanned over the children, and yes – right there next to Prince Philip, fawning over him – was the girl that Mulan described. "That is Princess Aurora of King Stefan and Queen Leah."

Mulan replied, wide-eyed, "She's _beautiful._ "

Emma nudged Regina in the side, grinning as she eyed Mulan. _Wow_ , she mouthed, and it took Regina a moment to realise that Mulan was _smitten_ from a far-away distance.

Regina gave Mulan's elbow a small squeeze. "Go talk to her," she whispered in Mulan's ear. Mulan was never around other people her age – except Regina, Emma and Tamara and a few of the other handmaidens – and Regina thought it would be good for her to explore that, even if Mulan would probably get nothing out of it. Aurora was a princess after all, and Mulan was a mere cook's daughter, dressed in a sundress but nothing more than that.

Clenching her jaw, Mulan gave a stern nod. "I will," she solemnly said, and she placed the glass on the table and carefully made her way across the large ballroom floor.

Emma leaned closer to Regina, watching Mulan go as she leaned down and placed her chin on Regina's shoulder. "She's gonna fall on her ass, isn't she?"

Regina gasped. " _Emma_!"

Laughing, Emma stepped around Regina and carefully held out her hand as she bent her head in a slight bow. "Would you like to dance with me?"

Eyeing the dance floor – still filled with dancing couples – Regina really _wanted_ to dance with Emma. However, she knew that they would stick out like a sore thumb. Two women dancing together was not unseen, but it was rather unorthodox, especially if one of those women were dressed in a tuxedo made for a man. Thankfully no one really knew of Emma's true status at the stable girl, except those who had seen her take care of the horses this morning, so Regina thought that dancing with Emma – no matter if Cora caught wind of it or not – sounded absolutely fantastic.

"I'd love to," she replied as she gingerly placed her hand inside of Emma's.

"You're going to have to guide me through it!" Emma yelped as she pulled Regina with her into the mass of dancing couples, taking her into her arms and falling into step with the other dancing pairs.

Regina laughed, jumping slightly as Emma almost stepped on her foot, and she knew they stuck out from all the rest of these people. They followed the steps, catching up with the circular motion of the dance, but their footwork was made up by themselves, yet Regina didn't care. It was everything Mother had always taught her to never do, but she paid it no mind. She could feel Emma's breath against her skin as the blonde concentrated on the movements; could feel her body pressed to her own in a slightly intimate way as they danced.

Her arms were on Emma's shoulders, the blonde slightly taller than her, even as Regina wore heels, and she could feel the belly of Emma's baby pressing into her stomach, and it was all so wonderful and much better than conversing with the child that was Prince Philip as he laughed at her with his friends, and as her own friends laughed at her for talking with a mere child.

Emma was out of breath quite quickly, but Regina didn't mind. The dance lasted as long as possible, and then she was pulling Emma off to the side again to let her catch her breath.

"You need to take care of yourself," Regina reprimanded her. There was a sheen of sweat on her brow and Emma dapped at it with the sleeve of her tuxedo, while Regina fetched her a glass of something cold to drink. "Here," she murmured.

Emma gulped it all down. "Sorry I couldn't dance more," she replied, looking almost crestfallen.

Regina wanted nothing more than to kiss that look off her face, to tuck her closer and tell her just how much it meant to her that Emma was there with her, despite of everything. To tell her exactly how thankful she was that Emma had suddenly entered her life. She thought of the butterflies making a constant flutter in her stomach and was reminded of Tinkerbell and her late night visit – Tinkerbell who would not disclose to her who her True Love really is, but knowing, just _knowing,_ that it was Emma, because if those butterflies were not True Love, then Regina didn't know what they were.

"Pay that no mind, you idiot," Regina whispered to her, fond.

Raising her eyes, Emma's green eyes met Regina's, and it was like the rest of the ball disappeared behind them. Gone were the sounds of people chatting, gone were the music and the glasses clinking – it was just them, together, near the window where Emma could rest against the brick wall. Regina stepped forward, as if urged on by something that she could not explain. Her need to be close to Emma was almost inherent, and she could not control it. She stepped closer, their bodies touching as her hand came up to cup Emma's cheek. Emma's eyes fluttered shut, her head tilting slightly sideways to meet her touch in a soft caress.

It was as if Regina's chest exploded in a flutter of warmth and care for this girl across from her, moving from her chest throughout her limbs. It created an electric buzz in her entire body, and she tilted her head backwards, desperate to meet Emma's lips again, because how could she _not._

They were pulled apart by Princess Abigail who literally ripped them apart by clutching at Regain's arm, tearing her away from Emma's body.

" _Regina,_ what are you doing?" she demanded. Her eyes trailed over Emma's form, scrutinising her in every way, and she did not look pleased.

Regina gasped, rubbing her skin where Abigail's long nails had scratched her just so. "We were just conversing," she quickly explained. She knew she had just been about to kiss Emma very publicly, and it would have been stupid, impossibly so, but she had not had any control of her own actions. It was almost as if they had been pulled towards each other by _magic._

Abigail raised an eyebrow. Clearly, she did not believe what Regina just told her, and clearly she had been witness to what had almost just happened. She was Regina's closest friend in this circuit though – not that that said much – so she had the courtesy to simply scoff. "We don't talk to the help," she replied, and then she stepped between Emma and Regina and threw the contents of her glass right at Emma's face.

Emma blinked against the cold stickiness, mouth agape. "What the _fuck_ ," she murmured, raising her sleeve to wipe at her eyes. " _Bitch_."

"Abigail, that was uncalled for," Regina said, because despite everything, no one deserved to have a drink thrown in their face. At least her father had taught her that, and she could basically hear her mother's scowl: _Regina, that is not how a real lady acts._

Abigail huffed. "You can thank me later," she said, and then she turned on her heel and walked away.

Regina ignored the stares from the people gathered around them, the murmurs of the crowd quite close to them, and turned to step closer to Emma once more. "Emma." She breathed out her name, almost breathless, and tried to use her thumb to brush away the wetness from Emma's cheeks. She really wished she had a serviette right now.

"Stop it, Regina," Emma brushed her hand away. It looked like her eyes were on fire, fiery, and so far from the kind gaze she had been giving Regina mere minutes ago. "People are looking," she added through gritted teeth, and she turned away, offering her back to Regina who could do nothing but stand there, rejected for all to see, just as was probably best.

As luck would have it, fanfare started ringing in the ballroom as Princess Tiana was to make her entrance on the grand staircase. Regina turned, like all others, to watch her come down the stairs in her purple ball gown. She watched for a second, mesmerised that someone could be so _at home_ with all that attention – something Regina never wished for herself – before she turned around to see if Emma had turned back around, but as she did so, Emma was not standing in the place where she had been before.

Feeling panic rise in her throat immediately, Regina turned here and there to see where she had gone – but all she was able to spot was a head of blonde hair making a quick escape through a smaller entrance in the back. Making a very unladylike curse beneath her breath, Regina ducked behind all the other guests as she followed in Emma's footsteps out of the ballroom.

—

Regina lost Emma somewhere along the way; she had been quite certain the other girl would have gone to Regina's chambers to wait for her, but she was not there – she was not within her own chambers (that she shared with so many other helpers who all looked funnily at Regina as she came to search for Emma) that Regina only had one place left to look for her.

The castle of Maldovia was big, but Regina snuck into the stables, knowing that Emma would have gone to be with the horses, just like Regina herself would have chosen to. She stopped briefly to slip out of her slippers that made a small clicking sound as she walked, and then she pulled her dress to around her knees and walked through the stables to the furthest end. Here, Bug and Rocinante had been given stalls to stay in.

She did not blame Emma for running away. Truthfully, Regina probably would have done so herself if she had been in that situation. All eyes had been on someone else, and Emma had been able to make a quiet exit. It was probably for the best; Abigail had pulled them apart before they would have done something that Cora would most definitely have heard of from other nobles, and Regina did not want to imagine what kind of punishment they would have received for that. It was most definitely for the better. Now, she just wanted to find Emma to make sure that everything was alright.

She found her in the furthest stall, carefully grooming Bug with a brush as she murmured things to him. Regina watched them for a second, quite mesmerised by the beautiful sight of Emma and Bug standing there, like it had always been like that. The wild horse whom no one had been able to control now followed Emma's every whim; he trusted her like he'd never trusted anyone, and it was a comfort to see that Emma had a confidant in him, someone to turn to.

The blonde her taken off the jacket of her tuxedo as well as her tie, hanging it over the side of the stall, and her belly was clearly visible in the white shirt she had on underneath; it was unbuttoned now, giving her room to breathe, and Regina's eyes got stuck on the sight of Emma's pale breasts as she they almost spilled out of the shirt. She stepped forward, dropping her slippers to the ground as she knocked on the wooden stall.

Emma turned to her, a soft smile on her beautiful face. "Hi," she murmured.

"Hello," Regina grinned, and just like that – everything was better between them, because they both knew, Regina _knew_ that they both knew, that it had been a close call, and that Emma hadn't run from her, but run from the situation itself, and Regina was quite alright with that. "Feeling better?"

"Much," Emma replied. She dropped the brush in the bucket and pressed a loud kiss to Bug's flank. "Let's sit in the hay."

There was a huge haystack in the far corner, shielded slightly from view from all the horses, and Regina was reminded of the haystack in their own stable, where Emma had been found by Daniel after her first night in their land. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet it had not been that long. At that time, Emma had not had a belly yet, and Regina had not had any clue as to which emotions the other girl would elicit in her.

They sat down in the hay, plush and soft, and with a small but necessary distance between them. Emma took Regina's hand in hers immediately, tucking their fingers together, interlacing them, and enveloping Regina in that warmth that only she could produce.

Regina lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to Emma's knuckles. "Are you worried?"

Emma nodded, an adorable crinkle appearing between her brows. "Yeah," she said, not quite meeting Regina's eyes, but staring down at their joined hands, "it's just… this all reminded me how different we are. How our lives are just… not the same."

"But that doesn't matter," Regina quickly said. She could feel her heart speed up inside of her chest.

Humming, Emma continued, "I know. I know you say that." She sighed, the fingers on her other hand pulling at straws of hay next to them. "And I believe you, but… I'm not even _from_ here," she moaned, "and I'm having a baby, and I'm a stable girl, and _you're_ …" She stopped talking, finally lifting her eyes to meet Regina's gaze.

Regina smiled. "I'm what?"

"You're the most amazing girl I have _ever_ met," Emma breathed.

It felt like a sun had exploded inside of her chest, and the butterflies fluttered their many wings. "And you're the most amazing person I have ever met," Regina reassured her. She pulled her hand from Emma's, cupping both of her pale cheeks as she stared into her eyes. "I am so in love with you," she promised, "and no one, not even stupid princesses or my mother – or, or any plans she may have for me – can change that."

Emma stared at her. "Really?"

"Without a doubt," Regina promised, and she pulled Emma closer, pressing their lips together in a warm and fluttery kiss. She felt Emma move closer, her body shifting slightly as Regina basically climbed into her lap to continue the kiss in the most comfortable way possible. She hummed into it, finally tasing those pink lips as she had dreamt of all night inside that ballroom. She kissed her fiercely, feeling heat overtake her body and excitement trump through her.

She could _never_ get close enough to Emma. Never.

Emma moaned into the kiss, and their tongues met again like they had done last night in her bed. Warm hands scooted up her thighs, sending tingles all over her body in a way that Regina had never experienced before. She shuddered into the kiss, her hips canting forward on their own accord. For some reason, she just wanted Emma to touch her more, firmer – even in places that Regina _knew_ were reserved for someone who was to be her husband someday, but she didn't care. She wanted _Emma_ to touch her there; to be the first and only person to even get near it.

With that in mind, Regina pulled her lips from Emma's. She was breathing hard, but Emma's breasts were teasing her, and she trailed her kisses down the column of Emma's neck, loving the sight of the blonde craning it backwards to make room for her, and once she trailed over Emma's chest, she felt even bolder. Spurred on by Emma's warm hands on her thighs, the sounds escaping pink lips, Regina used her fingers to further unbutton Emma's shirt. Her breasts basically spilled into Regina's hands at that; no longer able to fit into a brassiere, Emma was wearing nothing underneath, and her nipples – pink and much perkier than Regina's own – called out to Regina. She _desperately_ wanted to touch, and she knew that Emma would not mind, so she bent her head, enveloping one nipple in the warmth of her mouth as she swirled her tongue around the stiff bud.

Emma moaned loudly beneath her, her pelvis jutting forward, her fingers clenching slightly around Regina's thighs. It didn't hurt at all, it sent another jolt of want through her body, and Regina continued her ministrations with her mouth while she raised her other hand to touch Emma's breast. It was warm and wonderful, the nipple stiff against Regina's palm, and she squeezed it, finding immense pleasure in all of the sounds that escaped Emma's mouth. The moans were deeper and deeper the more she kissed and touched her; they came all the way from her throat, and Regina was desperate to hear what kind of other sounds she could pull from the blonde's pink lips.

Her own body was thrumming with something she had never experienced before. She knew it was a good thing though, a wonderful thing even, because it made her want to be even closer to Emma, to touch her everywhere and see what would happen. She canted her hips once more. She wasn't sure exactly what was happening, just that she wanted Emma to touch her between her thighs, because she was thrumming with want; it was almost as if she was going to _die_ if Emma's fingers didn't somehow find their way beneath her undergarments.

Emma whimpered. " _Regina._ "

Pulling back, Regina felt as if Emma's fingers were even closer to the place where she wanted them, although she couldn't be sure how they had ended up there. Was it her own doing for moving so much, or had Emma slipped her hands further up her legs? "Yes," she murmured, staring upwards to meet Emma's eyes.

The green orbs were glazed over, clouded with something Regina could only describe as lust although she had _never_ seen it before. She knew what it was though, because she was pretty sure that it was written in her own eyes too at this very moment. "You gotta stop doing that, or I'm…" She bit her lip, letting out another moan as Regina thumbed her nipple.

"Touch me," she breathed into Emma's ear at that, and she felt Emma freeze beneath her. "I want it," she promised. Still not quite sure what _it_ really was as she had never experience it before, never heard anyone talk about it, and only read a few lines in a book about it. That had been different though; that had been a man and a woman, and the man had used his genitals on the woman. That was something that she was sure that she and Emma would never be able to, and it had not made her feel curious at all. She had closed the book with a smack, not wanting to read about _that,_ and instead thought about pale, long fingers, and Emma's breasts inside her tunic.

Emma whimpered once more, "Regina."

"I'm sure," Regina said, and she trailed one hand down to clasp it around Emma's wrist. Her fingers tightened, strong and lean, and she gently pushed Emma's hand upwards, feeling heat pool inside her belly as Emma's fingers neared the destination.

They both groaned loudly at the touch. Regina because she had not expected to feel such dampness from the cotton of her undergarments. She was _wet_ down there, and for a second she was worried that something was wrong – although it felt _wonderful_ to have Emma's fingers there, even on the outside of the cotton – but she was reassured immediately by the sound that Emma made at the touch.

"Shit," the blonde murmured, and her hand ran over Regina's sex on the outside, warm and slightly firm, and Regina pressed into it, now needing the touch more than she had done before. Emma tilted her head to the side, meeting Regina's gaze, their noses brushing slightly. "Are you really sure?"

Regina bit her lip, holding back a whimper at Emma's deft fingers. "I'm not certain what is going to happen," she honestly breathed, because the best thing about Emma was that she could be honest about this without feeling stupid, "but I know that I want it."

Emma's free hand – the one that was currently not touching Regina between her thighs – came up from its rest on Regina's leg. She brushed it gently over Regina's stomach, ran it over her breasts, still incased inside of her dress. She breathed as she squeezed her there, and it sent another jolt of want straight to Regina's core. "Tell me to stop and I will," she said, seriously, before the hand wound around Regina's body and she used it to support her on the back, holding her steadfast. The angle was slightly odd, but Emma had a good grip on her, and Regina held her breath, as Emma tucked her undergarment to the side before slipping the entirety of her palm inside to touch.

Regina whimpered a the contact. She was tender down there, and the mere touch of Emma's warm palm against her made her want to move her hips, to, to basically grind down on Emma's fingers. There was such a a deep need inside of her to feel more, yet at the same time catch some sort of relief from the intensity of it all, and she wasn't quite sure yet how to go about it. But she trusted Emma, she trusted her with all of her heart.

"Shit, you feel really good," Emma whispered against her chest, because that was where her head had landed in Regina's attempts to feel even more. "Can I-" but Emma stopped talking, because Regina whimpered, moving her hips on her own accord. "Regina?"

"What are you doing to me, Emma?" Regina whispered, and she pulled her head back, staring down at the beautiful girl beneath her. She felt open; had never bared herself for anyone the way she was doing right this moment, and she had no idea how to stop the myriad of feelings somersaulting around inside of her. All she was certain of was that she wanted, no needed, this moment with Emma.

Emma's eyes were honest as she replied, and it was like something fell into place for her. "Just relax," she promised, and she pressed a kiss to Regina's breast through her dress, before moving her finger slightly downwards inside Regina's pants.

She felt it immediately, fingers probing carefully around her opening, and Regina knew that Emma wanted to be careful, but she could not control herself. She met her finger with another cant of her hips, and before she knew of it, one of Emma's fingers was inside of it, and it felt _amazing._

Regina moaned loudly at the feeling. Her eyes were screwed shut, but she felt Emma smile against her, as the blonde's finger began to move. Regina met her small thrusts by tilting her hips; Emma touched something inside of her that felt amazing, something that satisfied her want, but at the same time sent small jolts of need running through her entire body. This was what her body had wanted _– needed –_ she could feel it, and she was just so thankful that Emma was finally giving it to her. Yet, the feeling inside of her, as amazing as it was, just wasn't quite enough. She whimpered slightly, needed _more_ somehow.

Emma giggled against her. "Just a sec.," she said, and Regina frowned for a moment as Emma withdrew her hand, but it was only for a moment, because then it was back – the finger inside of her, but a thumb pressing gently against the little nub Regina had once examined through a mirror when she was younger.

She practically jolted at the contact, because it was _that wonderful_ , it sent shivers of pleasure throughout her body, and it didn't take many seconds before Regina's breath was coming out in short gasps, and Emma's fingers were moving quicker around inside and outside of her. There were sounds of slick wetness, of Regina's panting, of Emma moaning right alongside her, and Regina was chasing something – she wasn't quite sure what – but she was getting there with the help of Emma's long fingers between her legs.

It came suddenly – Regina's body froze, then jolted on its own accord. She moaned louder than before – she was pretty sure she said Emma's name at some point – and the finger inside of her was gone, while Emma carefully continued to stroke her gently. It stopped as quickly as it had overcome her; her breathing was uneven, her brow sweaty, and she felt sated, limp in all of her bones as she fell against Emma, breathing hard.

Emma withdrew her hand completely, holding her tightly as she relaxed against her, trying to catch her breath. "You okay," she murmured against her body, sound muffled.

Regina nodded her head. She pulled back then, slightly shy, and not quite sure if she had done everything she was supposed to. "Was I alright," she asked. She couldn't help it. It had felt wonderful, but what if she had done something she wasn't supposed to.

One of Emma's hands came up to brush a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. "You were perfect," she promised. Her cheeks were tinted pink, and she looked so incredibly beautiful. "Did it feel okay for you?"

"Yes," Regina replied, slightly shy, still only with eyes for Emma, "I would like to do that again someday."

Emma chuckled. "I'm sure we can arrange that."

"Oh," Regina added, her eyes trailing over Emma's body; down from her face to her breasts still spilling out of her shirt. "And I would like to do that to you as well."

A flush rose on Emma's cheeks. "Only once you are ready," she sternly said.

Regina loved her for it; loved her for taking such good care of her and for being so patient. "Perhaps not tonight," she murmured. She didn't want to disappoint Emma, but right now she felt so wonderful that she didn't want to mess it up. She _wanted_ to touch Emma, there was no doubt about it, she could feel it itching in her fingers, the want to make Emma feel as wonderful as Emma had just made her feel, but she wasn't sure she was ready for that. Not right now.

Emma pressed a kiss to her lips. "That's okay," she promised in a murmur, "there's no rush."

"Are you sure?" Regina stared into her eyes, open with honesty.

"I'm certain," Emma promised, and her thumb caressed Regina's back gently through the fabric of her dress. "I love you so much."

Regina couldn't hide her smile. "And I love you," she replied, fond. She leaned down, pressing her lips to Emma's in a soft kiss; softer than the ones they had shared earlier, filled with all the things she wanted to tell her that she couldn't do with words.

A jolt of electricity pulled them apart, and as Regina glanced upwards, poppy petals were dancing gently downward in small spirals; colouring the air above them red as they swirled towards them, out of nothing, landing around them in heaps of colour on the yellow hay. Emma gasped, green eyes wide as she picked one up, pulling it between her fingers.

"What's this," she said, meeting Regina's gaze with a wide-eyed expression.

Regina picked a petal too, examining it slightly. "Emma, I think," she licked her lips, brow furrowed as she stared at the red petal, "I think you may have a magic."

With a gasp, Emma stared up at her. And just like before, when the petals had started raining down on them with Regina's confession of love, more petals started falling as the surprise coloured Emma's cheeks pink.

* * *

A/N: Another huge step forward for Regina and Emma, but also for this story. I am quite nervous to know how you all will react to what I have planned for the rest of this fic – it is something I have gone back and forth on a few times, but I believe I have made my final decision now.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

The trip back was very different than the trip there. Tamara was entirely rejuvenated after the visit to her family, and Mulan had acquired the biggest crush on Princess Aurora, whom she kept gushing about while Tamara tried to read her book. Emma thought that it was cute how Mulan had found her first crush, but Tamara found it more annoying than anything. Emma herself and Regina sat out front, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the last days of peace together before returning back home.

 _Home._

It was still weird for Emma to think of the Mills' estate as home, because she had never quite before had a place that felt like home, but simply being with Regina – no matter if it was at the estate or possibly somewhere else – felt like home. Perhaps it was the feeling of being safe with Regina that she savoured the most. It was definitely an overall content feeling that had her leaning against Regina on top of the carriage, touching her thighs, her fingers, her cheeks, whenever possible.

Their night in the hay had changed everything yet nothing at all. They were still Emma and Regina; Regina as shy and innocent as she had always been, even if she was now not innocent at all. She still fumbled slightly, touched Emma tentatively, nervously, but there was a hunger in her eyes, an eagerness that Emma could not skip past. Regina wanted to touch her, be close to her, and Emma wanted to let her, all the time.

They didn't talk about it, not at all. Emma didn't know when it was going to happen again, because as they got back, Mrs. Mills had eyes and ears everywhere, and even though Emma had a constant itch between her thighs – probably curtesy of the bean in her tummy – she did not want to pressure Regina into anything she was not ready for. The last night they had together, staying once more at Granny's Inn, Regina was curiously touching Emma's breasts, running her hands down her tummy and over her butt, but not quite daring enough to move into Emma's pants. It was okay though, because Emma had touched Regina once more, and although the brunette had been shy, Emma had tasted her between her legs, and watching Regina come undone like that – it was absolutely her new favourite thing.

She was worried how things were going to be now, but she didn't tell Regina. The other girl had enough worries, and Emma didn't want to add onto that. Regina worried about her mother finding them out, or her mother finding Emma's pregnancy out, and although she was certain her father would help them, Emma had a feeling that Mr. Mills was basically powerless next to Mrs. Mills. Besides, Emma worried about all of those things, too, but she also worried about _them_ – about finding time together, about kisses and touches, and getting to know each other even more.

She worried about the bean, although that worry was slightly less now that she had Regina. Regina had taken the bean into consideration without a blink, and in Emma's eyes – _the bean was theirs._ There was not a doubt in her mind, not after the way Regina had touched her belly, had kissed it. Regina loved her child, and she was ready, despite her young age (which, Emma came to realise, in the Enchanted Forest possibly wasn't so young at all) to be its mother.

Before they drove the carriage over the hill, Mulan took a seat next to Emma up front, Regina took her seat inside the carriage – kissing Emma thoroughly on the lips as if it was the last time in a while that they were going to be able to do that (and Emma realised, reluctantly, that it just might be, which made her cling on for even longer) - before Emma took hold of the reins and steered the horses towards the courtyard. Both Mulan's father and Mr. Mills were waiting outside; the cook more grumpily as he stared down a sheepish-looking Mulan, and Mr. Mills with a huge smile on his face as he waved at his only child.

"Daddy," Regina happily greeted him as the door to the carriage swung open and she basically fell into his open arms. Emma wondered if he could tell that something was different with his daughter, that she had changed somehow, but he just kissed her on the hair and lifted her feet off the ground.

"Mija," he fondly said, "oh, how I have missed you."

Regina grinned. "I have missed you too, Daddy!"

Daniel was there in an instant, carefully helping Emma off the carriage. "Did you have a good trip back?" he asked as Emma stretched the kink in her back, moaning slightly as she did.

"Yeah, even Bug behaved. It was good," she assured him, and she was pretty sure that _he_ could tell that something was different.

"Mulan, you better get into the kitchen _now,_ " the Cook said, and Mulan scattered from the carriage, her father chasing her across the courtyard.

Mr. Mills laughed as he watched them go. "Why must she always do this, eh?"

Regina tucked herself closer to him, wrapped her arms around his midsection and hugged him once more. "Because she likes adventures. I relate, Daddy."

"Do you relate to a cup of tea then, hm?" Mr. Mills said, eyeing her fondly, with so much warmth that Emma got a little jealous just looking at the bond they shared.

Tamara was already unpacking their belongings in the courtyard, placing them in a neat line, so that Daniel could get the horses back to the stable, and Emma scattered to find her own sorry satchel, where she had messily stuffed in Daniel's tuxedo the other night. She could feel Regina's eyes on her, worried and warm, and she tried to be extra careful.

"Can Emma have some tea with us, Daddy?" Regina asked next, and Emma basically froze in her spot, where she was rummaging through the luggage room of the carriage to see if there was anything left inside. "There's something we'd like to talk to you about? Mother isn't here, is she?"

Mr. Mills eyed Emma curiously, but his gaze was not reproachful. "Your mother is taking care of affairs in the nearest village. She will return come nightfall," Mr. Mills said. He tucked Regina closer for another kiss to her forehead, before he continued, "Do you fancy a cup of tea, Emma?"

Emma paused, eyeing Daniel with worried eyes. "I should really help Daniel unpack everything, Sir."

"I'm sure Mr. Colter can handle that himself. You must be tired from the long journey," Mr. Mills assured her, and he turned to Tamara at that, eyes just a kind. "And Tamara, you should go back to your room to rest. I'll make sure that the belongings are cared for."

Tamara bent her head in a slight curtsy. "Thank you, Mr. Mills," she replied, before she scurried off across the courtyard, with only her own satchel in her arms.

Regina smiled warmly at Emma, a hand stretched out in a casual invitation. "Are you coming, Emma?" she lightly asked, and she looked so happy and carefree – so unbothered by the entire situation right now – that Emma could do nothing but nod. As if she wouldn't do whatever Regina wanted her to anyway.

It was hard to keep being worried when Regina was so happy right now, Emma thought to herself as they made their way inside the giant mansion to a small sitting area, where their tea was already waiting for them. Apparently it was predicted that Regina and her father were going to have tea.

"Could we get another cup for Emma, please?" Regina softly questioned as she took a seat on the small, fancy loveseat, tucking Emma down next to her, a little too close for it to be accidental. "And close the door behind you once you are done, please," she added for good measure.

The servant was out of the room and back with another cup before they were even seated. She left the room with no more than three curtseys, and as the door closed soundly behind her, Mr. Mills took to pouring the tea. He had a fond twinkle in his eye, and he hummed as he reached for a biscuit, dipping it twice into the tea, before popping in into his mouth. Crumbs fell around his mouth, getting stuck in his modest beard.

Emma's eyes were on the circles on the surface of her tea as she stirred, not quite ready to look up and see her employer giving her _that_ look. As if he had figured out that she had fucked his daughter. She had a sudden feeling that he was more than aware of the feelings she harboured for Regina – and the other way around too, perhaps – because he was more than a little perceptive.

"So, Regina," Mr. Mills finally said as he slurped down some tea. "I can't help but wonder why you dragged poor Emma in for tea with an old fool when she could be resting after the long journey."

Staring up at that – simply because she couldn't help herself – Emma grinned at him. "You're no fool, Sir," she smiled.

Regina rolled her eyes at him, fond. "Don't be so silly, Daddy," she said, and she placed a warm hand on Emma's knee, rewarding it with a tough squeeze. "And I wanted to tell you that Emma and I, we-" she furrowed her brow, tongue darting out to lick her lip, "-we figured things out while we were on our journey. We talked about things."

Humming, Mr. Mills' smile grew wider if even possible. "I see."

"Yes," Regina said as a matter of factly. Her free hand reached for her tea cup and she took a small sip.

"I take it Emma and Mr. Colter weren't really so in love at all, mija?" Mr. Mills continued, and there was a very teasing crinkle near the corners of his eyes.

"Daddy!" Regina said, her voice something between a sigh and a whine.

Emma couldn't hold back a laugh. "No, Sir, we were not. I cannot believe how Regina could even think that." She turned to her, smile growing as she looked at the girl she loved, so beautiful in the late afternoon light coming in through the tall windows. "I have only had eyes for her since I arrived here."

Blushing profusely, Regina ducked her head and spent a good amount a time selecting a biscuit from the glass bowl.

Mr. Mills spoke instead. "Same for my Regina. You know I do not mind that she has fallen in love with a stable girl. As long as she's happy." He circled his spoon in his tea, a slight frown on his forehead. "I am more concerned about Cora however. You know she has plans for you, querida."

"I don't _want_ to be Queen!" Regina immediately argued, and her fingers on Emma's thigh tensed slightly. "I want to be with Emma, Daddy! I want to have horses and live in a small cottage. I want to have _love._ "

"I know, Regina," Mr. Mills softly said, and his spare hand reached across the table to gently pat Regina's arm. "And I will help you all that I can. I don't believe we should tell your mother about these developments quite yet. Better wait a while, until you are… more equipped to say no to her."

Emma stared at Regina, wondering if _anyone_ – even her strong and amazing girlfriend – would ever be able to say no to Cora Mills. Cora Mills didn't seem like the type of person you denied anything, even if you were her daughter simply asking for happiness.

Regina nodded. "I know, Daddy. Emma and I are not quite ready to leave this home yet, although I'm sure we might have to someday."

Mr. Mills looked at Emma at that. "And you are alright with this, Emma?"

A hand came to rest on her tummy without her consent, purely instinctual, because the bean's happiness and protection was always first on her mind these days. "Yes. We're not ready yet," she murmured, fingers rubbing through the layers of clothes, which earned her an enthusiastic kick in return.

Another frown started appearing on Mr. Mills' face at that. "Are you…"

"Emma is with child, Daddy," Regina confirmed for him, and she said it so proudly – like this was truly a happy occasion and not just another mess to take into account – while she placed her own hand on top of Emma's on the belly. "It's from… before she got here. She was pregnant when she arrived. But this child?" Regina turned back to stare at Emma, their eyes locking fondly, "This child is also mine."

"Mija," Mr. Mills breathed, and it sounded like he was choking back an emotional sob. "Are you saying that I am to be an abuelito?"

Regina gave him a firm nod, fingers still tangled with Emma's on the belly. "Yes, Daddy."

Emma did not know much Spanish, but she had a pretty good feeling that Mr. Mills had just accepted the bean as his own grandchild, and it made a lump form in her throat. She had never had parents – nevertheless grandparents – but she could not imagine a better grandfather than Henry Mills. He had already done so much for her, and she had a feeling that he was going to continue to be her – _their_ – keeper.

"We will need to hide this from your mother a while yet, querida," he said as he reached a hand up, dapping at the wet corners of his eyes with a white serviette. "She will not be happy. She will be furious."

Regina bit her lip, eyes also shiny with tears. "You can't let her kick Emma out, Daddy. If Emma is kicked out, where will she go? And how will I be with her and my child?"

Mr. Mills opened up his arms and tucked Regina from the loveseat and into his own embrace. She cried softly into his chest as he patted her reassuringly, his own wet eyes meeting Emma's above her back. He didn't look mad or disappointed; he looked worried but also so very happy. Emma felt her own eyes well up with tears, and Mr. Mills consoled his child, pressing his lips to her hair in a comforting kiss.

"I will talk to your Mother, my princess," Mr. Mills promised her, voice so soft that Emma was barely able to hear it from across the table. "I will tell her about Emma's circumstances. Your mother might be tough, but she will not throw a pregnant girl out with nowhere to go. I will make sure of it, hm?"

Regina pulled back, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Really, Daddy?"

Mr. Mills nodded, his face stern with his promises. "Yes, mi hermosa. Just make sure that she does not find out about your relationship, hm? Because then I am not sure what she is going to do. We need to keep Emma safe here, at least until she has birthed the child. We have the best possibilities here to make sure that nothing goes wrong." He turned his eyes to Emma at that, a slight worry marring his face. "We cannot let you be harmed during childbirth," he added.

Emma had honestly not thought much about childbirth, although she, of course, was aware that after a pregnancy came a birth. She swallowed loudly. "Thank you, Sir."

"You are quite far along, are you not?" Mr. Mills asked as Regina returned to her seat once more, shaky fingers reaching for her cup; so shaky that she had to use both hands to carry it to her lips so she didn't spill.

Nibbling at her biscuit, Emma nodded. "Yeah. I'm not quite sure how far along, Sir. But I am certain I have under two months left until term." She stared up at him, not quite sure he knew what that meant, and definitely not even certain herself because time had been warped for her. "Two full moons?" she added, for good measure.

Henry gave a determined nod. "That is not far. I will have to make sure you get a room inside the main building. We need to take care of my nieto."

Emma smiled warmly at him, not quite able to understand how lucky she had been – not only to end up with Regina, but also _him._ "Thank you, Sir."

Regina placed her cup back down, hands steady, and tears now dry. "Perhaps we can put Emma in the room next to mine?" she lightly suggested, a hopeful look in her eyes, no doubt imagining what kind of troubles they could get into at night if their rooms were right next to each other.

"And why would we do such a foolish thing?"

No one had heard her come in, but Mrs. Mills was right there, standing inside the room. The door was still closed behind her, and purple smoke was dissipating around her terrifying form. She had, thankfully, just poofed in. Emma straightened her back, eyes wide and with a heart that quickly picked up its speed.

"Mother," Regina greeted, and she slipped out of the loveseat immediately, only to cross the floor and kiss her mother's cheek. "We just arrived back."

Mrs. Mills' eyes were still on Emma, clearly regarding her. "And what is this about Miss Swan's room?"

Mr. Mills pulled himself out of the chair, standing to his full height – which was still smaller than Mrs. Mills both in literal height and in presence – and he folded his hands on his back. "I need to talk to you about something, dear Cora," he said as he gestured to the door, "Why don't we convene in my study?"

Eyes still lingering on Emma, Mrs. Mills finally tore them away. "Very well," she agreed, and Emma thought that somewhere there was a love for her husband, it was just buried deeply down inside of her. "Regina," she added, voice cold as she looked at her daughter. "You are to shower to wash the filth of the journey off of you, and then you are to go to your study room to write a letter to Prince Philip to thank him for his time at the ball."

This time, Regina did not object. She knew that her father had an impossible task in front of him, and that she should not make it even tougher for him. She bent her head. "Yes, Mother," she said. Emma thought that in some way, her getting a room next to Regina would mean even more studies for her girlfriend, more boring lectures and books, because Mr. Mills would have to negotiate with something.

"You can see yourself out, Miss Swan," Mrs. Mills added, and Emma did not need to be told twice. She did a messy and rushed curtsy and hurried out of the room without looking back.

—

Emma didn't see Regina for the next few days. She had expected as much, and it didn't worry her. She was pretty sure that Regina had a lot of studying to make up for, all decided by her mother, and she and Regina were finally at a place where it didn't worry her if the brunette didn't come by in a few days. Before, when she hadn't known how and if Regina felt something for her, she would have analysed every interaction, thinking she had done something to upset Regina, but now – she needn't worry, because Regina was hers, and although she hadn't asked her, she was certain that had they been in the Land Without Magic, she would have labelled Regina as her girlfriend.

Instead, she spent time with Daniel in the stables, helping out with everything she could and telling him about what had happened on their trip. She hadn't heard from Mr. Mills about what was going to happen to her, if she could stay in another chamber, if they could find something for her to do that did not involve the horses once she was too big to handle them (which honestly, she was loathe to admit, would be sooner rather than later). She also spent time with Mulan outside, enjoying the spring weather that was soon more like summer weather, and the heat was becoming unbearable for her inside the tunic.

They were lounging beneath Regina's apple tree one late afternoon; thoroughly shielded from prying eyes because of the angle, and Mulan had leaned back against the trunk of the tree, down to only her undershirt and with the legs of her pants rolled up as far as they could go.

Emma brushed a piece of sweaty hair away from her face, grumpy and uncomfortable in the heat. "I'm so _hot_ ," she whined.

Mulan glanced up at her, straw perched between the teeth. "Why don't you take off your tunic? Get some sun on those palm arms."

Emma shifted uncomfortably.

With a groan, Mulan sat up, resting on her elbow. " _Emma,_ " she said, a tired expression on her face. "It's already gossip between the staff. We _know_ you're pregnant, and Mr. Mills is getting a room ready for you in the main house. It's out there, no need to hide."

Almost spluttering in surprise, Emma whined. " _What_ -? You _know_!?" A hand automatically fell to rest on her belly, which was quite visible in her clothes, and she had really not tried that hard to hide it the last few days after they returned, because the bean was simply getting too big. "How long have you known?"

"I suspected," Mulan grinned as she eyed the belly beneath the warm tunic. "Now," she continued with a small sigh, "off with that. Everybody knows."

Emma didn't need to be told twice. Although she was self-conscious about the changes the pregnancy had done to her body, the heat was unbearable, and so she used both hands to quickly pull the tunic above her head, dropping it to the grass next to her. With a sigh of relief, Emma felt the sun rays hit her skin, and she squinted her eyes against the warm light. "Oh man," she moaned, pulling at the sweaty blonde locks again, wiping them behind her back.

Mulan laughed and wriggled her eyebrows. "So ehh – you and Regina, huh?"

"Don't be so loud about it," Emma scolded her with a tease, although she couldn't hide her happy smile. "People are not supposed to know, _especially_ not Mrs. Mills, but… I'm really happy, Mulan."

"Did you kiss?" Mulan excitedly asked, and the straw fell to the ground beside her head.

A flush rose on Emma's cheeks, and she averted her gaze, eyes turning towards a very interesting knot in the wood of the trunk.

Mulan gasped. "You did!" she cheered, and it was moments like these when Emma was reminded that Mulan was a bit younger than her, because her excitement because of a mere kiss was adorable.

"Maybe," Emma murmured, now tearing her eyes away from the trunk to look at her friend.

Sitting up, Mulan's long locks blew slightly in the wind, and her eyes turned wide. "Oh my," she added, practically breathless, "you did _more than that!"_ She poked Emma in the side with a pointy finger, causing the blonde to swat at her. "Tell me everything!"

Emma gaped at her. "We're not talking _about that_ ," she sternly said, and when Mulan made a sad face, sticking out her lower lip in a big pout, Emma continued, "We're _not_!"

Mulan whined. "Why not? I have no chances of _any_ love in the nearest future! Please let me hear what it's like." The pout was back again, and Emma felt her shoulders sagging.

"It was a kiss," she breathed, but she felt her cheeks light up, probably red with warmth that was both caused by the summer sun and the thought of Regina. "It was _good_."

"Do you love her?" Mulan breathlessly asked her next. Her brown eyes shone with curiosity, and her lips thinned into a strained smile.

Emma licked her lips. "Of course I do," she replied, as if that was even a question at all.

Mulan opened her mouth to reply to that, but before she was able to, her name was called from somewhere on the grounds; loud and clear, most definitely her father wanting her to come help him. With a groan, Mulan pulled down her pants and rolled over to stand up. "I'll need more details later," she seriously said, before she took off running across the field and towards the buildings.

Watching her go, Emma bit her lip in thought. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk about Regina and what had happened between them, but honestly, she perhaps wanted to keep that special moment to herself for just a while longer. What she would _really_ have liked to talk to Mulan about, however, was the fact that Regina seemed to believe that Emma might have magic, and that there was no reasonable explanation for that. She'd just have to pick Mulan's brain about it at a later time.

"Well, that finally got her to leave, didn't it?"

Emma whipped her head around at the sound of the high-pitched voice. She yelped in surprise as green smoke evaporated in front of her eyes, the little green man from the shed standing in front of her, tapping his long scaly fingers against each other. "Huh?"

He laughed, loud giggles escaping his throat as he stared at her. "Well she was awfully boring, wasn't she? Besides – I needed to speak to you, Miss Swan." He cocked his head slightly, watching her.

Emma watched him right back. It was most definitely the same man she had seen in the shed with Mrs. Mills that night; it was easier to see how he looked right now, in the sunlight outside, but he was no less freaky. She remembered distinctly that Regina had told her that this man was powerful, not to be messed with, but Emma was intrigued right now, because he had gotten Mulan to leave,and what was that about? "How do you know my name?" she wanted to know.

"I know everything there is to know, Miss Swan," he said as he gave a slight nod. "The name's Rumpelstiltskin," he announced, rolling the 'r' and dragging it out.

"Emma Swan," Emma replied. She placed a comforting hand on her belly.

Green eyes landed on her hand at the movement, piercing and curious, almost as if he was able to see right through her shirt. "Oh, is this the little one," he mused, bending slightly forward onto his knees. His clammy hands fell upon Emma's stomach without her consent, and she yelped at the contact, not quite alright with this strange man touching her.

She flinched back. "Hey."

"Oh, this is him, yes," Rumpelstiltskin mused, his eyes glistening as he raised them to look at Emma once more. "The little one that will either bring me back what I desire most… or be my undoing."

It felt like she was being x-rayed by his penetrating gaze, and Emma flinched back as far as her position would allow her. She wasn't exactly scared of him, the feeling she got was more upsetting than anything, unsettling even, and she gave her tummy a reassuring pat, trying to convey to the bean that everything was going to be alright. A tentative kick to her hand was her only reply. "Him?" was Emma's next question, chin jutted out in defiance as she levelled Rumpelstiltskin with a hard glare.

Another stream of giggles left his mouth. "Oh yes, dearie. This is most definitely a _him_."

Emma wasn't really sure if she should believe him on that, because how the hell would _he_ know. "Yes, well the kid's not gonna do _anything_ for you. It's not gonna give you your desires _or_ be your undoing or whatever," she spat, and she reached for her tunic, feeling the moist fabric between her palms as she struggled to stand up.

Rumpelstiltskin's lips thinned into a faint smile. "You have no idea who you really are, do you, Emma Swan?" he breathed as he watched her come to her feet. "You don't know what you're capable of… what's in store for you." He reached a hand out, scaly fingers cupping her cheek even as she tried to pull back.

"What's in store for me is a future with the kid and Regina," Emma roughly replied, not even flinching.

Amusement twinkled on his face. "But will you or won't you," he mused, pulling back again with flickering eyes that made him look positively insane. "Will you?" he paused. "Or won't you?" Fingers tapped against his chin. "That is the question."

Emma stepped backwards, bumping into the tree. "Look man, what do you even want?"

"Be careful, Emma Swan," he whispered, stepping away from her, _finally_ giving her some space that she so desired. "If you get what you want… you might just _disappear_." He brushed a tuft of hair back, regarding her. "But if you don't get it… you might just disappear anyway."

Emma sighed. "Dude, could you stop with the riddles, please."

Rumpelstiltskin giggled once more. "I shall see you someday soon, Emma Swan," he promised, as he bent his neck into a bow. "Someday very, very soon, you and I shall talk once more." He stood up at that, snapped his fingers, and then he was gone in a fog of green smoke.

Watching the smoke dissipate, Emma clutched her stomach and sagged her shoulders. "What the _fuck._ "

* * *

A/N: If you like this story, please let me know with a comment. I apologise that this chapter is roughly edited (I will go back and fix the mistakes soon), but I have a sick cat who refuses to eat, so I had to go to the animal hospital earlier today, and it's very distressing. I wanted to get this out for you guys though, since I only needed to write the last few pages. I hope you enjoyed.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

The last months of Emma's pregnancy were spent trying to get herself ready for what was going to happen. She helped as much as she could at the stables, but she was also reassigned to help out around the estate with smaller things. She watered some plants, diced and sliced some vegetables with Mulan in the kitchen, swept the halls; she did whatever was needed, mostly just to keep up the pretence of actually contributing since she was still technically employed. Although, according to Mr. Mills, he did not expect her to do anything but take care of his grandkid inside her belly, but he wanted to make sure that Mrs. Mills did not let Emma go for doing nothing.

The rest of the servants on the estate contributed just as usual, and no one seemed to have to run any faster because of Emma's predicament, which made the blonde very happy. She didn't want her pregnancy to affect them negatively, because she was finally feeling at home of sorts, and she didn't want anyone to get mad at her. Instead, most everyone seemed to be quite excited to get a baby on the estate.

Emma's chamber - the room next to Regina's - was very quickly made into a home for her and the baby. There was a small crib in the corner, right next to her bed, and the closet was soon stocked with baby clothes that Tamara was sent to the nearest village to purchase. Emma savoured getting to sleep in her comfortable bed every night; her back was sore, her feet swollen, and she needed the rest to be able to function.

She couldn't quite believe how things had worked out. It seemed almost too good to be true that she'd land right in this place and stumble upon someone as wonderful as Regina. Regina, who not only loved her, but protected her and made sure that she had everything that she needed.

Honestly, Emma could not imagine a better place to have her baby, and that evidently said at a lot.

Regina was doing amazing too; she waited on Emma hand and foot whenever possible. She studied all day long, spent a few hours with the horses at the stables (but only on some days at the moment), and then she hung out with Emma in her chambers after dinner.

"As long as Mother sees me still doing all my work, she can't get mad at me," Regina explained one summer evening as she and Emma strolled outside, walking through the blossoming garden. Emma was heavily pregnant at this point, so her stroll was more like a waddle, but the Important thing was that she got outside, Regina said, not only to get some fresh air but also to move around a bit.

She missed Bug, too, and the other horses at the stable. It was kind of upsetting not to be able to see them as much, because the stables were _so far_ away for her tired feet. Daniel came to visit her a few times however, and he smelled so wonderfully of horses that Emma basically felt like she was with them.

Mrs. Mills worried Emma the most though, because the older woman had a constant eye on her, and even though Emma snuck into Regina's room at night – practically the only time they could ever be alone without prying eyes – she was afraid that Mrs. Mills would stumble in there and catch them doing something she did not deem acceptable.

The best thing they could do was for Emma to sneak Regina out of her room as she had done before, when Mrs. Mills had locked her inside. There was one afternoon where Mrs. Mills had caught them laughing hysterically beneath the apple tree in the garden, and she had not been pleased with Regina frolicking around like that, so she had punished her severely. Emma wasn't sure what had happened, because it had all gone on inside of Regina's room, but she was determined to find out and get Regina out of there.

So even though she could go into labour at any moment, she pulled herself out of her bed and towards the chamber next to hers. The bolt was in the bracket, and Emma pulled it out easily, before opening the door and sliding carefully inside the room. She gasped when she what was going on.

Regina was suspended vertically in the air, hanging from the grand chandelier in the ceiling.

Emma carefully closed the door behind her. "Regina!" she breathed, eyes wide and trained on her girlfriend whose garment- her white, laced nightgown - and hair (ouch, Emma thought) were the only things keeping her in the air. They were wrapped around the candle lit chandelier, and it did not look safe at all.

"Emma," Regina breathed, and a painful smile graced her lips. "You shouldn't be in here right now, Mother will be back soon to get me down."

"Why did she even put you _up there_ is the question," Emma moaned, and she eyed the predicament carefully, regarding it as if trying to figure out a solution. It was pretty clear that it was magical, that Mrs. Mills had used some kind of magic to get Regina floating in the air like that, and Emma stared helplessly down at her hands, remembering the petals she had made rain just a few months ago.

That had been the last sign of her magic, at least what she knew of. Regina was sure she had it – she wasn't sure how and why – but to her it was clear that Emma possessed something magical within her, Emma had just not been able to get it out of her, which, in this moment, pissed her off like never before. What good was magic if she couldn't use it to help her girlfriend?

Regina's voice sounded strained as she replied. "Never mind it, Emma, just – go back into your own chamber and put the bolt back into the bracket." She winced, the chandelier cracking above her. "Mother will return soon to fix this and you better not be here, darling, she'll punish you too."

Emma eyed her. "I don't _care_ ," she said as she stepped closer, her nightgown straining against her belly, and her anger at Mrs. Mills flaring up inside of her. "She _can't_ do this to you!"

"It's of no matter, Emma," Regina gasped, and her dark eyes were round with worry as she watched Emma step closer. "It's not even painful, it's just a bit uncomfortable."

Tilting her head back, Emma watched the lines of her face, the way her dark eyes glistened. "You're _lying_ ," she concluded. Easily, because it was so clear to hear. "That fucking _bitch!_ She can't keep doing this to you!" Emma argued, and she fisted her hands together, hanging by her sides as she stomped her foot.

A jolt of lightening was visible from the top of the chandelier; sparking hot white across the ceiling as Regina was dropped a few inches down.

Both girls gasped.

"Emma, watch out," Regina breathed, wide eyes turning to Emma in a warning.

Emma stepped back slightly, but her heart was beating madly inside her chest. Mrs. Mills was putting her daughter in danger, and it seemed like she gave no fucks whatsoever, just leaving Regina to her own devices, hanging from a fucking chandelier. It pissed Emma _off,_ God it did. She stomped her foot once more. " _No_ ," she demanded, "you can't stay there, I have to-"

Anger flared within her, and the thought of harming Cora Mills to get her to leave Regina _alone_ was so fucking clear in her mind that when she stared right back up at Regina, she basically jumped into the air in surprise, because sparks went flying again. Everything moved so quickly, but before the chandelier could fall, the fabric of Regina's clothes seemed to crack, and her hair disentangled itself, and Regina fell to the floor. Except – she didn't _fall,_ not really. She almost floated down and landed with her stomach on the rug with a soft thud.

Emma's hands tingled mercilessly, and she rushed to the floor, falling ungracefully to her knees due to her large belly. Her entire body was abuzz, and she pushed her glasses further up her nose, almost dropping them as she bent her head. "Regina," she whispered, hands coming forward to tug Regina's head to the side.

Regina's brown eyes were almost clouded over with emotion and a surprised frown marred her face. "Emma," was all that left her lips.

A hand brushed at Regina's hair, at a wonder how she had just arrived safely on the ground when she had just been floating near the ceiling. Emma's heart was already slowing down, now more certain that Regina was safe – no matter what Mrs. Mills was going to do when she found out that Regina was no longer where she had left her. The bean kicked happily inside of her, contributing its relief as well. "Are you hurt?"

Pulling herself into a sitting position, Regina shook her head. She was clearly touched by the entire situation, rattled by what had just happened to her. She wiped at her cheek with a shaking hand. "I don't care what you say, Emma," she whispered, finally meeting Emma's gaze, " _that_ was magic. You have magic."

Emma stared down at her hands again, now regular and still, not with the shake they had had minutes ago. Had they trembled with magic? Emma couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that _she_ – a regular girl from the Land Without Magic – should possess magic? How would she have it and use it if she didn't even know it? She stared up at Regina once more, swallowing loudly. Her mouth was dry. "Magic?"

"Yes," Regina agreed as she settled herself even further on the floor. "I know it sounds impossible, but… It's the only thing that makes sense to me." Her gaze fell to Emma's hands at that, and she curiously reached out to wrap both hands around one of them, enveloping them in the warmth and safety of her touch.

Emma swallowed once more. "But… how would I have been able to use it? I don't know how, and I didn't even know, I…" She wasn't sure what she was trying to say, so instead of continuing to try she closed her mouth, jaw clasped tightly shut.

Warm fingers handled her own as Regina looked up at her. "Magic is emotion, darling," she lightly murmured, and she seemed so in awe of it all at the moment, so wonderfully curious and factual. "It's the purest emotion, that much I know… You have a lot of emotions, don't you?"

Licking her lips, Emma took her sweet time replying. She was trying to wrap her head around everything that Regina was saying, of what had just happened with the chandelier, but it was so hard to understand that the sparks of lightening were – at least according to Regina – made by _her_. Worry flared in her chest at the thought, as well as an unsettling churning in her stomach, and Emma's gaze met Regina's once more. "I just – I was so _pissed_ at your mother for- for doing _that_ to you," she breathed, motioning towards the ceiling with a hand that she pulled from Regina's grasp.

"I reckon your anger was enough to free me," Regina murmured, and she gave Emma's hand a small squeeze. "I know it's scary, darling. But I think it's the truth. You… for whatever reason … have magic." Her voice was so light as she said this, a little bit worried too, but she did not sound like she was angry with Emma – or scared of her – which Emma would have feared due to all Regina's experiences with her mother. No, she seemed accepting of this fact, and all she did was shoot Emma a supportive smile. "I believe you have had it all along and that it's just manifested itself at different moments."

All Emma could think about was the petals she had made rain and then nothing else. "Like how?"

Regina paused for a second, before she heaved out a heavy sigh. "The bolt and the bracket for instance?" she suggested, motioning slightly towards the door that was still open from where Emma had entered. "I don't believe anyone but Mother is supposed to be able to open them," she explained, and made a funny face.

Emma paused to stare briefly at the doorway. "Seriously?"

"Yes," Regina added with a slight nod. She smiled at Emma then, pulling herself off the ground. "But come on, darling, let's go to your chamber. You can close the door behind us and Mother will never know."

Glancing at the ceiling once more, Emma reached her hands out for Regina to help her up. "But you're on the ground and not in the air?"

Regina made a small sound of strength as she pulled Emma off the ground, using both of her arms to get Emma standing. "I guess I'll just have to deal with that later," Regina replied, although a slight waver of worry flashes across her face. "Let's not fret, we can't change it anyway."

Emma still felt the churning worry in her stomach as they left Regina's chamber. She tried to figure out if her hands felt any different as she pulled the bolt into the bracket, but she didn't notice anything. Instead, she just felt entirely comforted and loved as she crawled into her bed, Regina following right after her, creeping beneath the covers. Emma tucked herself closer to her, letting Regina wrap her arms around her, feeling like the little spoon as Regina pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.

"Don't worry so much," Regina whispered, but Emma just pressed herself closer to her, seeking the warmth and security that only Regina ever could provide her with. "It's all going to be wonderful."

But Emma wasn't sure that it was going to be. Of course being with Regina was an amazing thing, and she knew that Regina was going to take care of her and protect her in the best way possible, but it was tough to realise that perhaps that were some things that were out of her control. Not only had she somehow ended up in this place – which, God, she had long ago accepted was _real_ even if it was _crazy_ – but she was also only 18 years old, pregnant, soon-to-be a mother, all things that she couldn't quite grasp. But then there was Regina of course. Regina who was just _there_ with her, who loved her and wasn't shy about showing her, and who had taken to the bean inside her stomach, accepting it as her own.

Emma could do this – she could stay here forever, never return to the Land Without Magic easily, but could she live with Cora Mills' need for control? Could she raise her child in a place where magic was real, where there lived a notorious sorcerer so close by? She was honestly scared what Mrs. Mills might do to the bean once it was born.

"We're going to figure out your magic, Emma," Regina whispered as she nuzzled Emma's neck with her nose. "I'm not worried about it. I know Mother can be scary, but…" Her breath ghosted across Emma's back, goosebumps rising slightly as she moved. "But there's also good magic, light magic," she said, resolutely, as she tightened her hold around Emma's body.

"Are you sure?" Emma breathed, because no matter what, it worried her. Her only experience with magic in this realm had been bad; she had seen what Mrs. Mills did to Regina, and it was not nice things, but… if Regina was right, perhaps all magic wasn't bad. "I mean… I don't wanna hurt anybody."

"Darling," Regina replied as she moved slightly, tucking at Emma's body to get her to turn over on the bed so they could look at each other. "Oh darling, you will not. You'd never hurt anyone," she added, fingers brushing across Emma's belly, "you're too good for that."

Emma still wasn't entirely too sure about anything, but all she knew was that she trusted Regina, and she would do anything that Regina thought was best. "How has your mother been?" she asked next, her eyes trailing worriedly over Regina's face as they breathed in the same air, noses close together, lips almost touching. "I mean… I thought she'd calmed down a little? I didn't realise she was still… doing _that_."

A shadow fell over Regina's face briefly, but her lips curled up in a soft smile. "Don't worry about it, she's just-" she paused, long locks tickling Emma's face from above. "-she probably feels that something is up. I mean, she knows about your pregnancy, and she knows about our… _friendship-_ " She blinked, scrunching up her nose, "-but you shouldn't worry, because she doesn't know about us. Daddy supports us."

"Why didn't you tell me she was still doing things to you?" Emma asked next. Mostly because her heart broke a little bit at the mere thought of Regina going through painful things all on her own.

Regina leaned her face down, pressing her lips to Emma's in a short kiss, that left the blonde breathless in an instant. "I didn't want you to worry right now," Regina murmured, a hand once more rubbing fondly on Emma's very big belly. "You've got enough to think about."

Emma hummed softly, kissing Regina once more. "I am worrying though," she breathed, feeling the rush of fondness through her body, and the instant tingle down her spine. Having Regina this close to her was intoxicating, and it had been a while since they had managed to do this. "I mean – what will happen once she finds out? We can't live like this forever. She still wants you to be Queen. She'll find out eventually that you have other plans." She paused, green eyes dilating slightly, "Plans with me."

"I know," Regina murmured softly, pressing herself closer into Emma's body. "Do you have anything packed in case? For a quick get-away?"

Glancing towards the side, Emma saw the satchel resting against the wall. All the important things were packed in there; just in case, like Regina said, barely unpacked from their trip to Maldovia. "Daniel gave me his old satchel," she promised, thumb stroking Regina's hip through the sheer fabric of her nightgown. "It's got the necessities. The map, my – my watch. Some clothes," she explained, searching Regina's eyes for confirmation that this was the right thing to do.

Regina nodded cutely. "Good," she confirmed. She ran a hand up Emma's body at that, pressing their lips together and touching Emma gently with her fingertips. "I've missed you," she murmured.

Emma grinned into the kiss. Boy, she had missed Regina too. She let her hands wander from Regina's sides to her arms, brushing her gently as she moved to cup a breast, too. Regina breathed heavily into the kiss, still so unfamiliar with touches, but getting more and more brazen everyday. She was still so new to this, but eagerly learning, and Emma felt her fingers move from their position to the buttons on her nightgown. They were tentative, questionable, and Emma pressed at her hand to let her know it was okay. "It's alright," she said.

Pulling back, Regina's pupils were dilated, and she looked uncertain for a moment, before Emma's sincerity settled with her. She flushed, bending her head to watch her fingers move over the buttons there. "I've wanted to touch you," she murmured, her warm breath hitting Emma's sensitive skin as the gown came undone. There were buttons all the way down, which, frankly, suited Emma very well because then she didn't have to move her heavy belly. "Can I touch you?" Regina paused, staring up at Emma. She'd already unbuttoned half the gown, and it was now falling open down to Emma's belly, exposing her entire chest area.

"You can do everything that you want," Emma murmured.

A huge grin appeared on Regina's face at that, and she bent forward quickly, leaning on her hand, to press a kiss to Emma's lips with a small squeal. Then she was back again, curling together at the foot of the bed as she hurriedly unbuttoned the rest of the gown at it fell open around Emma's body on the bed.

Emma could already feel the way her breath was starting to quicken, even if Regina had done nothing but undress her and kiss her yet. Her entire skin was just so sensitive these days and the mere anticipation of what was going to happen now that Regina appeared to be ready was enough to send waves of heat into Emma's belly.

Nimble fingers moved to get rid of Emma's underwear, and the blonde held her breath, nervous as to what Regina was going to do next. The brunette grinned up at her. "I'm afraid I'll hurt you if I use my fingers. Can I – can I just use my mouth?"

" _Yes,_ " Emma moaned, because that was exactly what she needed right now. "Please, Regina, _please_ use your mouth, and don't worry. You can't do anything wrong, okay? If you use your tongue."

A determined expression settled on Regina's face at that, and it was so damn cute that Emma would have laughed if the situation had been any different; the way Regina went into all new challenges with such determination was one of the most adorable things Emma had ever experienced – except right now when Regina was getting ready to eat her out for the first time. Right now it was just insanely hot.

Emma settled back into the pillows, closing her eyes, giving Regina the space and time she probably needed. She was ready to lie there for a while if that would get Regina more comfortable, but it took no more than a minute before strong fingers moved up her thighs, touching her gently, readying her for the next move. However, nothing could have prepared her for the first bold stroke of Regina's tongue against her pussy.

Emma moaned loudly at the contact, immediately grateful for the slight relieve against her heated core; she wasn't sure one orgasm could cure her need these days, but it was definitely better than her own two fingers, that was for sure.

Regina's tongue touched her again, this time more certain, and her fingers curled tightly around Emma's thighs.

The blonde moaned loudly at first, before realising that that was probably not the smartest thing to do, so she clamped a fist over her mouth to muffle her sounds as Regina continued to lick her; searching, exploring, finding her way around Emma's pussy. Emma could already feel her climax getting closer – she knew from the start that it wasn't going to take long, but this was really insane – and she felt herself clench around nothing, while Regina's tongue made contact with her clit for the first time.

This elicited a strong reaction from Emma, her body buckling slightly, her orgasm just within reach, and Regina pulled back instantly, wide eyes filled with concern that met Emma's clouded green gaze.

"Did I hurt you?" Regina breathed, and she reached a palm up to wipe at her chin. It was glistening with saliva and juices, and she looked so downright fuckable that Emma wished she had more energy and movement to actually do something about it afterward.

Emma shook her head. "No, no, that's… that's a very good spot," she explained, a dazed smile on her face, "kinda like when I touch you and you say it feels really good? It's the same for me, it's – it's the clit."

Regina's lips formed a small 'o' as she glanced back down. "So if I continue to touch you there, I'll make you come?" she questioned, and she sounded so pure and innocent that Emma's heart fluttered.

"Yes," Emma grinned, and she couldn't help her smile and the hand that came down to give Regina's hand a small squeeze. "I'll definitely come. Very soon."

With a huge smile, Regina bent her head and lowered her mouth back down, picking up where she left off. It took her a moment to find Emma's clit again, but once she did, she did not leave it unattended. She focused her entire movement on the small nub, and before Emma knew what was happening, she was coming into Regina's mouth. She struggled with keeping herself quiet as she came, her thighs wrapped around Regina's head – Regina who was still licking and sucking, as if Emma was not orgasming around her – and it was only when Emma could not handle the stimulation any longer that she tapped lightly on Regina's head, and the brunette pulled back.

There was a big grin on Regina's face at that – Emma thought she looked almost proud – and the blonde tugged at her hand, pulling her upwards so she could kiss her smiling lips. She tasted of Emma's come, but Emma kissed it off and nuzzled their noses together, momentarily sated and relived from the aching burn between her thighs.

"Did I do good?" Regina questioned, and it was very clear to Emma that she knew she had done good, but that she needed to hear it anyway. Just to make sure.

"You did wonderfully," Emma promised her, and Regina sighed happily as she tucked herself into Emma's body, curling around her like a koala bear; one arm and a leg draped over her as she nuzzled her face into Emma's neck.

Regina hummed against her skin. "It was very nice make you feel good," she said, "I want to do it again."

Emma chuckled, "You can do that anytime, you know. And once I've finally popped out the bean, I'll be sure to reciprocate again."

"That's of no matter," Regina assured her with a happy sigh. "We've got all our life for that, don't we?"

With a fluttering heart, Emma hummed out a response, "We sure do," she promised her, because at that moment – it really felt like they did.

—-

Emma started to come to herself because there was a wave of excruciating pain running through her body. Her eyes snapped open, and her hands immediately fell to her belly – still exposed, because for some reason she and Regina had allowed themselves to _fall asleep_ in her bed – and she yelped, loud and clear and from deep within her throat as it came over her and she realised what was happening.

She was in labour. She was in frigging labour, and she had just experienced her first contraction. _That_ much she was aware of, even with her very limited knowledge on the subject.

Regina was snoring slightly next to her, and Emma moaned in displeasure as she nudged her in the side; probably a little more roughly than she would have done under normal circumstances, but these were _not_ normal circumstances.

"Regina," Emma hissed, as she saw her girlfriend blink, coming slowly to herself, "Regina, wake up. Please, Regina, wake _up._ "

Pulling herself onto her elbow, Regina blinked as she stared around, momentarily confused as to what was happening right now, and probably also about where she was, because she was not meant to fall asleep last night. "Emma?" she groggily murmured, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

"I'm in _labour,_ " Emma moaned, staring at her girlfriend with wide eyes. She might have been very clear on what was going to happen – she was going to have a kid, they were both going to be moms – but somehow it was happening _now_ and that was a little freaky. And very soon. Even though she could not wait to get the bean out of her.

Regina gasped. "The baby is coming?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah, I've – I've had a contraction." She rubbed her belly, and Regina's eyes followed the moment. "Can you- can you get everyone ready, I'm-"

In a swoosh, Regina was out of the bed and onto her feet on the cold floor. "Yes!" she eagerly said, turning towards the door in such a hurry that Emma had never seen anything like it. She paused, hand on the doorknob as she turned to look at Emma. "Try to close your nightgown, darling," she whispered, and there was such love in her eyes as she looked at her. "And I'll wake everyone. It's the middle of the night, and I, I'm _not_ in my room, but we'll cross the bridge after, hm?"

"Yeah," Emma whispered through gritted teeth.

Regina rushed back across the floor, quickly pressing her lips to Emma's forehead in a sweet kiss. "I love you," she promised, before she turned on her heel and was out of the room.

Emma felt another contraction on the way, and she breathed through it while she used her shaking hands to button as much of her nightgown as she could reach.

They were going to have a _baby._

* * *

A/N: The chapter count is very loose, but so far I have outlined it to 21 chapters, but it might go up a bit, if I need to flesh some things out. Please let me know what you think?


	17. Chapter Seventeen

A/N: This chapter was challenging to write due to all of the things that happen in it. I'm not entirely pleased with it, but I do hope you like it! It comes with a firm **trigger warning:** there are mentions of blood, death, pain etc. in this chapter. That being said, it's not _that_ graphic, because there is a lot of other things going on as well, but I thought I'd let you know so you are prepared.

* * *

 **Chapter** **17**

As Emma breathed heavily through another contraction, Regina stood near the foot of her bed, feeling absolutely lost, because she had no idea how to help her. Her love was in deep pain, that much was evident, and sweat was trailing down her temples, hair slicked backwards in a messy bun as she sat up in her bed, clutching the blankets to have something to hold onto.

Regina _yearned_ for something to do to help her. She wished there was something she could do to take away some of the pain that Emma was feeling, because there was not a doubt in Regina's mind that Emma was in pain.

Nurse Ratched from the nearest village had been brought to the estate as soon as Regina had awoken her parents with banging fists on their door, ignoring her mother's scalding _Regina, control yourself!_ along with her scornful scoff at the fact that Regina was _not_ locked inside her chamber, but somehow standing right in front of her.

Henry had moved into gear immediately; as soon as the words _Emma's in labour_ had swept over Regina's lips, leaving her almost breathless. He had sent Daniel to the village, and Regina had fetched both Tamara and Mulan from their chambers.

Now, Mulan was pacing near the door, while Tamara was helping Nurse Ratched with whatever she asked for. Henry was nervously brushing Emma's forehead with a cloth, and he kept shooting Regina nervous glances. Regina, who felt absolutely and utterly helpless in this situation, and it was not a feeling she particularly cared for. It was just – Emma hurt _so bad._ The blonde never complained, worked through her pregnancy without a word, and now she was making a fuss. Just a small one, but Regina knew what it meant.

"There you, there you go," Nurse Ratched urged her on. "I'm going to take a look and see how far along you are, Emma."

Emma moaned. "Just get it out, just get it out of me, _please_."

Henry eyed Nurse Ratched as he swiped Emma's forehead. "We've been at this for a very long time now, Nurse. Emma's feeling tired. Please tell us it is good news."

Nurse Ratched eyed him pointedly, and Regina ducked slightly to the side, to see what she did beneath the blanket that was constantly draped over Emma's naked bottom half. She had seen it before – just hours ago, before this ordeal started she had been touching it with her tongue – but she was not prepared for the sight she saw.

Feeling faint, Regina stepped back again and joined Mulan by the door. Nurse Ratched continued to examine Emma with purpose, while the blonde breathed heavily – another contraction was on its way, and Regina's heart ached with desperation. Nurse Ratched took a minute, before she reappeared and placed the blanket back on Emma's knees.

"You're doing very well, Emma, just a few more hours, I reckon," she told the blonde, who fell back against the bed with a happy sigh. Nurse Ratched turned to Henry then, and said, "Can I speak to you outside, Mr. Mills?"

"Yes," Henry said, sounding surprised, "of course. Regina, could you-" he motioned towards the cloth in his hand, and Regina rushed across the floor to take it from him.

When they left the room, Mulan and Tamara followed after, closing the door to Emma's chamber behind them. Regina stared down at her girlfriend and gently patted at her forehead. "I'm so sorry, darling," she murmured, and her heart ached, "I wish for it to be over soon."

Green eyes stared up at her, clouded over as Emma breathed through her nose. "Something's wrong, Regina," she whined – her voice low, but shrill with desperation at the same time – and she bit her lip hard; they were chapped and raw, and her teeth drew blood. "I can't – something's not right. Please, if something happens to me-"

"Emma, _don't say that_!"

"If something happens to me, _you are his mother_ , do you hear me?" Emma said, and it was no-nonsense, her gaze focused for the first time in a while as she stared seriously into Regina's eyes. "Don't let your mother take him from you. He _needs_ you, okay?"

Regina stared at her, and it felt like her future was crumbling between her fingers, because if _Emma_ felt that something was wrong, wasn't there? "Him?" was all Regina could force across her lips as she stared down at the girl who had entered her world so suddenly, but turned it around for the better.

Before Emma, there had been Daniel, her horses and her father, but not much more than that. She had gone through the days, following her mother's every whim, but not really experiencing everything that life had to offer. After Emma – everything had changed. There had been sunshine, midnight escapes and trips to the lake. There had been love, so much love. She had started _living_. And she wasn't going to let go of that already.

Emma stared down at her belly with a slight nod, placing a hand on top of it. "I'm pretty sure, it's a boy," she whispered, and there was a certain edge to her voice.

Regina did not have time to examine that however, because there were more pressing matters at hand. "Okay," Regina said, seriously, as Emma's eyes snapped back to meet hers. "Well, _he_ is going to have both of us, Emma, do you hear me? I can't do this without you, and I can't live without you, _we_ can't live without you," she added, as she motioned towards the belly once more. "Do _you_ understand that? You can't leave us now."

Swallowing loudly, Emma's eyes flickered and her throat bopped, and she looked _exhausted,_ so tired, but there was a light in her eyes there had not been there a minute ago. "Okay," she firmly said.

And then another contraction started and she begun whimpering loudly. Regina panicked for a moment, patting down her head again, but Nurse Ratched smacked the door open and rushed into the room, steering straight for Emma's legs once more. Henry followed, shooting a nervous smile at Regina, and Regina glanced over her shoulder to find Mulan lingering in the doorway. She offered them a small smile, and Mulan raised a hand to wave her over.

"I'll be right back," Regina whispered to Emma's head, before she bent down and pressed a lingering kiss there, not caring who was present to see it or not. She transferred the cloth to her father's hand, before she stepped into the hallway outside, closing the door behind her. "What?" she whispered to Mulan.

"Come here," Mulan replied, and they stepped towards Regina's room instead.

Regina's heart beat madly in her chest, but she followed anyway, only to find Tamara sitting on her bed, leafing through her father's journal – Regina was very familiar with the worn leather cover by now – at a rapid speed. Mulan closed the door behind them and tentatively sat down next to Tamara.

"What's going on?" Regina wished to know.

Mulan and Tamara shared a glance, and Regina could feel that worrying churning in her stomach, that sense that something really _was_ wrong, just like Emma had said, but she was not ready to accept that, she was _not._ Mulan bit her lip. "Nurse Ratched, she said that uh… that the baby's not, uhm, coming out correctly?" She glanced at Tamara as she said this, and the other girl gave her a slight nod, "And apparently Emma is in a lot of pain, and uh, the remedies she has are _not_ working, so."

Regina blinked. "What does that mean?"

"Not anything good," Tamara said, and then she held up her book again. "I'm not sure what they are going to do about getting the baby _out,_ but I do remember that I read one of my father's recipes for _pain –_ an old remedy, it was in here, I'm _sure_ of it. If we could make it, we could at least _help._ "

Falling to her knees in front of the bed, Regina reached for the book. "Can I look?" she questioned. She didn't want to overstep Tamara's boundaries, but time was of the essence, and Tamara was still only learning to read.

The other girl urged her on, and Regina immediately took the journal from her, leafing through the pages to find recipes with the word 'pain' written in them. She'd only scanned about twenty pages when she found the one that Tamara had to be talking about. She quickly scanned the list, finger moving across the page as she read. "We have most of these things," she said nodding her head, "in the kitchens, except…"

"What," Mulan breathed, eyes wide.

"Poppies," Regina replied, dropping the book onto the bed cover and furrowing her brow.

Tamara raised an eyebrow. "Poppies?"

Regina nodded. "It makes sense. Poppy seeds and petals are used in medicine, because it has a numbing effect. I've studied about them when Mother wants me to learn about potions."

Mulan stood up then, heading towards the door. "There's poppies near the lake. I'll be back," she said, and then she was gone.

Regina and Tamara stared at each other for a second, before they, too, moved into action. Tamara ran through the estate to gather all of the ingredients, and Regina set up on her desk to make sure they could mix them all according to the journal. Once she was done, Mulan had still not returned, so she entered the room next to hers to check on Emma. She did not much care for being away from her at this moment, because she knew that Emma needed her, but the blonde was barely able to focus once Regina returned to the chamber. To her horror, there was blood on the sheets of Emma's bed – and a lot of it, as far as she could tell.

"Mija," Henry said, clearly surprised to see her there so suddenly, as if he would rather she wasn't.

"Daddy," Regina breathed as she crept up next to him. She brushed Emma's hair back, but the blonde was not that responsive. She barely registered Regina's actions; she seemed exhausted beyond anything Regina had ever seen before, and she was so pale, paler than usual, which was a lot, because Regina had always thought that Emma was very pale.

Henry kissed Regina's temple. "I'm sorry, querida, Nurse Ratched is doing everything that she can," he explained, and his arm was heavy around Regina's shoulders. "We're hoping for the best, but Emma is in a lot of pain, and she's losing a lot of blood."

Regina stared up at him, the cries getting caught in her throat, because _this_ could not happen. Their love story could not end like this. No matter what Tinkerbell had told her about suffering and True Love, Regina _refused_ to let Emma go like this. They were going to be a family together, have a future. "What will it take to help?" she asked her father.

"I don't know," Henry said with a deep sigh. "A miracle, perhaps."

Freezing, Regina stared at the wall. Not a _miracle_ maybe, but… magic? And there was a very skilful sorceress right in this house who could probably fix everything with a flick of her hand, if she so pleased. Regina gave her father's hand a squeeze. "I'll be right back," she said, and she ignored his low pleas of her name to stay – _for Emma_ – because what she did now was for _Emma,_ too. To _save_ her.

She met Mulan in the hallway, fresh-faced and with red cheeks, out of breath from the ride and the run. "I got the poppies," she excitingly said.

Regina could barely muster a smile. "Go and help Tamara with the mix. Give it to Emma as soon as it's done."

"Where are you going?" Mulan asked. Her usually stoic face was one of confusion and worry, and Regina was thankful to have a friend like her.

"I've got to talk to my mother," she seriously said, and Mulan's eyes turned comically wide, before she turned on her heel and entered Regina's chamber, and Regina ran down the hallway, aiming for her mother's study. She was still wearing her nightgown, and she hadn't spoken to her mother since she woke her parents up, so Regina wasn't quite sure how she was going to be greeted once she entered her mother's sanctuary. She barely knocked, only four times in rapid succession, before she entered, not even waiting for her mother's _come in_ to allow it.

Her mother looked up from her desk the second she stepped inside, her hand hovering over her gold-rimmed mirror.

"What's that?" Regina asked, catching movement where she was supposed to only see reflection.

Cora moved her hand, wiping the picture away. A picture that looked suspiciously like a window into Emma's chambers; she was pretty sure she had just seen the back of Nurse Ratched along with her father's concerned form standing over Emma. "Nothing, darling daughter," Cora breathed, a plain expression on her face.

It made Regina wonder what _other_ things her mother might have seen inside that mirror, how many other mirrors her mother had spied into, and for how long. However, as worrisome as that was, Regina could not be bothered to handle it right now. She had other things to worry about. "Emma will die," she said, pausing in the middle of the room, hand nervously resting on her stomach.

Cora looked unsurprised. "Oh?"

"Unless you _help_ her," Regina added as she took two steps closer.

It took a moment before Cora replied. "I don't know how you expect me to do that, Regina," she said. It was evident that she didn't care. Just the way she held herself, the tone of her voice. She didn't give a rat's ass about Emma dying or not.

Just that knowledge fuelled Regina's determination to get her to pitch in with help in some way. She stepped closer once more, ready to _beg_ if that was needed. "With magic," she said, wetting her lips as she stared at her mother, "you have so much of it."

"I'm not in the business of helping stable girls populate this forest," Cora just replied and turned her eyes away.

"Mother, _please,_ " Regina begged, hands resting against her mother's desk as she leaned slightly forward. "Just help her. I'll – I'll do anything." She'd just have to cross that bridge when se got to it, because right now, the only important thing was Emma and the baby both making it out of this birth alive.

Cora arched a perfectly sculptured eyebrow, regarding Regina for a moment in complete silence. Next, she said, "Then tell me, dear _daughter,_ how did you get down from your chandelier?"

Staring at her, Regina didn't know what to say. She _knew_ her mother knew; she had probably seen it in her little tricky mirror, but admitting it was an entirely different thing. It was like giving up, as if she would tell her mother exactly who Emma was to her, and that could only mean bad things. Her mother knowing it in secret was one thing, but Regina _telling_ her? That would be like admitting defeat.

"Cat got your tongue?" Cora questioned as she turned in her chair, wiping her hand across the surface of the mirror to make the picture of Emma's room reappear. "If you don't have anything to add, Regina, I'll just continue to watch the show."

Regina stepped backwards, eyes immediately moving towards the picture of Emma in that bed, everyone running on adrenaline around her. It appeared that Tamara and Mulan had already given her the remedy, because she seemed to be relaxing a bit more, and Tamara had returned to helping Nurse Ratched. Regina fisted her hand and said, "You're disgusting, Mother. You'd _really_ let someone die just because you don't feel like helping?"

Cora eyed her. "I've got no use for the stable girl. Actually, she is rather messing up my plans, don't you think?" She took a sip of the tea next to her, daintily wiping her lips. "It seems as if the baby is just about here, Regina. Not even my magic can help her now."

Turning around on her heel, Regina felt her heart beating in her throat as she rushed out of the room, leaving the door wide open behind her. Cora's magic might not be able to help her now, but Regina was forgetting _one_ thing in this moment. _Emma_ had magic, too. She might not be able to access it easily, but she had it, certainly and without a doubt, and it had a tendency to go haywire whenever Emma felt things too much. Regina had to spark it to life somehow, to make Emma do the inexplicable and save herself from certain death.

Yes, that was their only hope, and Regina would make sure that they achieved it because she could _not_ live without Emma. She wasn't certain what would happen to her if she ever had to, but she was sure that it was not going to be good.

Rushing back into Emma's room, it was pretty clear that she was just about to be a mother. The scene she walked in on was gruesome, there was blood everywhere, and Nurse Ratched was telling Emma to _push push push_ while Emma was squeezing Mulan's hand so hard, that the other girl looked about ready to pass out.

"Regina, there you are!" Henry said, and Regina rushed past him to stand by Emma's other side, to be near her, and she was greeted by a dopey, tired smile. Exhausted, but beautiful.

Emma whispered, "Regina… he's coming."

Regina pressed a kiss to her forehead, messy and filthy with sweat, but she didn't care. "I know, darling, I know," she said, taking Emma's other hand inside of her own. A sense of dread hung in the room with all of them; there was by no means quiet, but all Regina could hear was her own heartbeat in her ears and Emma's voice as she stared up at her. "You're doing so well, sweetheart."

Another grunt of pain, and Emma squeezed her hand tightly. "Remem – 'member what you promised me?" she breathed out, green eyes clouded over, but somehow determined all the same.

"I don't need to promise you that," Regina replied in a low murmur as she bent down to look Emma in the eye. "Because you're not going-"

" _Push, Emma, I said push_!"

"-anywhere, do you hear me? We're going to be together for a very long time. Forever. You, me and the bean," Regina breathed out shakily, aware that Emma's focus was somewhere else entirely, but knowing, just knowing, in her heart, that Emma was hearing her anyway.

" _One more big push, Emma, you can do it!"_

With a force of power Regina had never seen or experienced in anyone, ever before, Emma practically yelled out as she made one, final push. Regina heard the cries before anything; a very loud baby falling into Nurse Ratched's arms – "Tamara, do you have the scissor?" – and then Emma's hand going slack inside of her own.

"Emma," Regina breathed, and she met Mulan's panicked eyes across her faint body. Small whimpers came from her, but they were barely audible, and Regina felt the panic rise even further in her throat. Emma couldn't- Emma _couldn't-_ she was not _allowed_ to die. It felt like Regina was going to throw up.

Nurse Ratched transferred the baby into Tamara's arms. "It's a boy," she announced, before she bent her head and ducked between Emma's legs once more, immediately getting to work.

Henry touched Regina's elbow. "Mija – the child," he kindly said.

Regina shook him off. "Daddy, please take him, I _can't_ right now, not with Emma-" she cut herself off with a choked sob, and it seemed like her father understood exactly what she meant, because he took the prepared swaddle from the chair and carefully cradled the baby into it.

"Emma has to see her son," he firmly said next, before he pushed past Mulan and placed the crying baby on Emma's heaving chest.

Something was going on between Emma's legs, because Nurse Ratched was swearing and muttering, and giving out orders to Tamara, but Regina didn't care, she squeezed Emma's hand in her own and placed the other on the baby's chest – the bean, they had called him, for such a long time, and now he was a little, actual person, staring up at her from his swaddle. He was red-faced and crying, but her hand seemed to have a calming effect on him.

"It's your child, Emma," Regina whispered, pressing a kiss to Emma's hair as she hugged them both tight, as well as possible due to the sensitive situation. "Emma, see, we have a _child._ He's here now, do you hear me? He's _with us._ You did it. He's beautiful, he's-"

"Henry," Emma whispered, lips trembling and almost blue. "His name is Henry."

Regina's father gasped next to her, and Nurse Ratched murmured something that sounded an awful lot like _so much blood_ , and Regina stared down at her girlfriend and willed herself to believe that this wasn't the end.

"Henry." Regina nodded her head, jaw tight. "And you know what? We can't live without you. Henry and I _can't_ live without you. _I can't_ do to this without you." She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes as she clenched Emma's hand harder and the tears spilled over. "I can't, Emma, do you understand? We're a _family,_ the three of us. We're going to live in a cottage and have horses, hm? We're going to be happy, so you can't do this to me, you have better fix it!"

Emma breathed out. "Regina, I- I _can't._ "

Not having it, Regina continued, "Yes, you _can._ You're Emma Swan, and you have _magic._ I don't know how, and I don't understand it, but you do. I've seen you use it, so you better find it and _fix yourself._ "

"Regina," Emma pleaded, green eyes clouding over with tears.

"No, Emma," Regina shook her head, visibly crying and not caring a lick who was in the room with them and who saw her like this, because none of it all mattered if Emma didn't make it through this with her. "No, Emma, I _love_ you. I love you, and I love Henry, and I _know_ you are my happy ending, so don't you dare die on me."

With a whisper, Emma said, "I'm so tired."

Swallowing, Regina wiped at a tear on her cheek. "Find your strength and do it now. Henry's still waiting for a proper hello, and I'm _not_ greeting him on my own." She bent her head, her nose touched to Emma's almost painfully as they stared into each other's eyes. She meant this, and she knew that Emma could mend herself, because Emma's magic was strong enough to stand against Cora's, and on top of that – it was _light._ It wasn't bad magic at all, and Regina believed that Emma could access it if she just trusted enough in herself.

"We have a son," Emma whispered, her chapped lips brushing against Regina's as she spoke.

"Yes," Regina agreed, her lips touching Emma's right back. "We have a son, Emma. And we're going to be together _forever_ because I love you in the True Love kind of way, and we're going to get _married_ someday, hm?" She brushed Emma's cheek with her spare hand, eyes flickering. "We'll get married, we'll have horses. I can teach you how to ride for real, because what stable girl doesn't know how to ride-"

Someone sounding suspiciously like Mulan chuckled next to them.

"-and we'll be happy. Happier than we ever thought possible. If you just access it." Regina brushed her cheek again, nuzzled her nose. "And I believe you can, because I _believe_ in you. And I love you." She pressed a kiss to Emma's lips then, lingering as she breathed in through her nose, consumed in everything that was was them, their plans, and the love she had for this woman.

Only a jolt – something akin to electricity – pulled her away, and she fell roughly towards the floor. It appeared that a rush of emotion had surged through Emma's body, and Henry Senior was getting Henry Junior off her chest in an instant, just a Nurse Ratched made a joyous sound from between her legs.

Tamara gasped. "She stopped bleeding," and Regina looked up at Emma to find her breathing heavily, but with a very distinct white, hot ball hovering near her chest – almost where her heart had to be. She was still pale and covered in sweat, but she was doing it – doing _something_ – and Nurse Ratched kept working, quickly switching out instruments and ordering new ones from Tamara.

Her father met her eyes above the bed, and he seemed so relieved in a way that Regina had never seen him before, and then he stared down at the baby in his arms, and he just seemed in love.

"You're doing it, Swan!" Mulan cheered, pumping a fist into the air as she did a little jump.

Regina hauled herself off the floor and rushed back to Emma's side, pressing her hand to Emma's once more. "You're really doing it," she breathlessly whispered, and she glanced towards Tamara and met the other woman's surprised eyes above the bed. Regina had not noticed it before – she had really not noticed how bad it had gotten, so quickly – but Tamara was covered in red and other substances; her white uniform tainted and with splotches on her face and in her hair, but she looked relieved.

Regina stared down at Emma next and pressed a kiss to her hair, just as the white electricity appeared to die out. "You're doing it, darling, you're really doing it," she whispered, and she felt Emma give her hand and tight squeeze.

—-

They had relocated to Regina's chambers a few hours ago. Emma's bed had been in the need of a thorough cleaning (and so had Emma herself, and Tamara had helped her towards the washroom to get clean), and Regina herself had ordered some food from the kitchens, while nervously waiting for Emma's return.

She hadn't been quite able to realise that it was over with and that Emma was _fine._ Not until the blonde had returned to the bed with her, sore and exhausted, but very much alive.

Her father had taken excellent care of Henry while everything had been going on. Actually, he hadn't quite wanted to let him go. Henry Senior had cradled Henry Junior in his arms and cooed down at him softly, protected him with everything that he was.

Now, Emma had returned from the washroom, they had eaten some warm soup, and they were trying to get little Henry to latch onto her boob for the very first time.

Regina stared down at his little, red face. She wasn't quite able to comprehend that he was _theirs._ Their son. A little human being that they were going to raise and love for the next many years. Until he was old enough to run off to the nearest village to find a girl to marry – or boy, of course, Regina thought, as she tore her eyes away from him and settled them on Emma instead.

"Stop looking at me," Emma murmured, but there was a smile in her voice. She looked so, so soft.

Regina whispered, "I can't."

A flush rose up Emma's cheeks, despite all the blood she had lost earlier. Somehow, she had fixed herself, and Regina would never be more thankful than she was right now. "I can't believe he's really here. Our Henry."

"I know," Regina added, and she rested her cheek on Emma's shoulder as she glanced down at Henry once more. He was sucking on Emma's nipple without a fuss, and Regina was fascinated with what the human body could really do. "How does that feel? Does it hurt?"

Emma shook her head softly. "It just feels a little weird. Not like when you do it."

Regina felt her own cheeks colour a little. She had done that before. "Thank you for not giving up today. I mean, I- I _would've_ loved him and protected him, but I really do not wish to do it without you, Emma."

"I know," Emma breathed, and she let her hand currently resting on Henry's small tummy find its way to Regina's hand in her lap. "We're in this together. I love you so much."

Humming, Regina replied, "And I love you."

They were both sleepy, that much was evident, but somehow they both kept their eyes open, because Henry was still feeding, and once he was done, they'd have to get him ready for bed. Her father had rolled his cradle from Emma's chambers to Regina's, and it was now resting near the window, ready for its new occupant. It was beautiful, and Regina had a suspicion that her father had gotten it made especially for Henry.

"He's really incredible, huh," Emma commented next, her eyes falling once more to Henry's small form. There was a small tuft of hair on the middle of his head, a dark brown, something in between Emma's and Regina's own. Regina thought it kind of fitting if that was really the colour he'd end up with.

Regina sighed. Happy. "He really is." She yawned, trying to hide it in Emma's shoulder, but the blonde could definitely feel it.

"You can sleep, you know," she teased. "We'll all be sleeping soon enough. I think Henry's done."

Henry was done. He was staring up at at them with drowsy eyes, a splotch of milk on his chin. Emma handed him over to Regina as she did up her nightgown, and Regina sat carefully, putting him over her shoulder to pat his back, just like they had been told by her father that they needed to do. Henry burped, and once he was done, she placed him in the crib and stared down at him in wonder, Emma right next to her. The blonde flicked the small mobile above it; it was horses made of wood, something that looked particularly homemade, like what Daniel would have spent his free time doing, and they watched over Henry as his eyes drooped and he fell to sleep.

Then they both crawled into Regina's bed and curled up in each other's arms. Regina pressed a kiss to Emma's hair and murmured another, "I love you."

"Thank you for always taking such good care of me," Emma replied, tired, and out of breath, and then she nuzzled her nose to Regina's chest and fell asleep.

Regina joined her not long after.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

A/N: I apologise for the fact that I did not update on Sunday. Things are very crazy in my life at the moment, and I have had very little time to write. I don't think I'll be able to update this Sunday, but hopefully I'll be back on my regular schedule the week after that. I hope you enjoy this chapter though – it was tough to write. Please let me know!

 **Trigger warning:** There is graphic violence in this chapter, curtesy of Cora Mills.

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Mrs. Mills was entirely quiet for the first week of Henry's life. Emma wasn't sure why that worried her so much. She thought she would have preferred for Mrs. Mills to have shown her hand, to confront them, give some kind of reaction, but this – this silence? It was worrisome.

Regina appeared worried, too, but she was also so focused on Henry that Emma couldn't really talk to her about it. She didn't want to burst that little bubble of bliss that Regina seemed to have fallen into as soon as she had held Henry for the very first time. She cradled him gently and stared down at his red face, and Emma had been completely breathless by the look of pure love in her eyes.

Emma had had no doubts about Regina being Henry's other mother, but if she had had them, watching Regina spend just one minute with the infant would have pushed all those doubts away. Regina was _amazing_ with him. She was careful, loving and full of warmth, and Henry felt safe with her immediately. Emma had been worn out a lot, spent a great deal of time in bed to recover from the birth, but Regina had taken care of Henry meanwhile. Of course Emma breastfed him whenever he needed, but Regina changed every diaper, soothed him during his cries and watched over his crib almost obsessively, while she studied and stared out the window, without a doubt missing her horses.

A strange sort of atmosphere settled over the Mills Estate during that week. Most servants walked on their tip-toes, afraid to make too much of a commotion in case it might set Mrs. Mills off. It was as if everybody was just waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Mrs. Mills to have some kind of _reaction_ to what had just transpired.

Emma heard servants whisper in the alcoves about how she and Regina had tricked Mrs. Mills; how they had managed to fall in love and be a couple right in front of her eyes. They talked about how the kid was born and Regina was his mom, and _what was Mrs. Mills going to do about Regina becoming Queen._ The whispers did nothing to soothe Emma's worries, they only fuelled the fire inside of her, gnawed at her insides because _this was too good to be true._ Regina's mother was not going to accept this and let things be, she was sure it. The question was just – what was she going to do?

On her first trip outside two days ago, Emma had placed her satchel in the stables, along with luggage packed for both Regina and Henry as well. It was just precaution; she knew Daniel would watch out for it, and he had promised her that if it was ever necessary, he would get the horses and the smallest carriage ready within five minutes. It was nice to know, because Emma had this unsettling feeling in her at all times. They were going to leave eventually, and she feared it might be at a moment's notice.

It was exactly one week since Henry's birth, and Regina and Emma had ventured outside with him for the first time. Regina was carrying him in a sling around her torso, and he was sleeping soundly, while the two of them strolled around, heads turned towards the warm sunshine.

They passed through the stables, greeting Rocinante and Bug, and letting Daniel peek down at Henry with so much softness in his eyes that it absolutely melted Emma's heart. Then they turned around back to the yard and took a seat beneath the apple tree that Regina held so close to her heart. It was comforting in the shade, and Regina tucked Henry to her lap so he could continue his nap without disturbance.

Emma winced slightly as she sat down against the trunk of the tree, still hurting in places she had never thought before that she could hurt so much, and Regina eyed her worriedly.

"Are you still feeling that sore?" she asked as she swayed her arms from side to side, soothing Henry even in his sleep. She had taken to motherhood so easily, naturally, like breathing, and Emma loved her even more for it. Even at the tender age of 16, Regina was a mom, and there was not a doubt in Emma's mind that she was going to take care of Henry, watch out for him, with everything that she had.

Breathing in the fresh scent of summer, Emma replied, "Yeah, a bit." She squinted her eye open and stared down at the girl next to her; Regina was a smidge smaller than her, but she looked older now than she had done a week ago, as if the events had aged her severely. She was still as fresh-faced as ever though, hair in a messy braid and dark eyes shining with warmth and affection. "It's better though. Loads."

Nodding, Regina stared down at Henry once more and slid even closer to Emma, resting her head on her shoulder.

Emma pressed a kiss to her hair. "Just look at him, huh."

"He's the cutest child in the entire forest, I just know it," Regina whispered, her slender finger brushing gently over Henry's little cheek. "No one can compare. My little prince."

Warmth surged through Emma's chest and she hummed in reply. "I did one thing good then, didn't I?" She tucked Regina closer, an arm around her shoulder. "I mean – everything that happened with… with his dad, you know? At least we got him out of it."

Regina smiled up at her. "He's perfect."

Emma reached a hand out and cupped Henry's foot through the fabric, hugging it slightly as he kicked. "I haven't been able to do more magic," she explained, because she knew Regina was going to ask; she had done so every day the past week, and every day Emma had replied with the same answer. She had tried every day as well, willing the magic to pass through her body and out of her fingers, but she couldn't even get a small petal to move. She _wanted_ it to move, she tried reaching for all of her emotions in the way that Regina had told her to, but she just couldn't do it. She wished she could, because she would have felt marginally more prepared for whatever Mrs. Mills was cooking up if she was able to protect them, but she just couldn't.

Lashes fluttering against her skin, Regina replied, "It will come to you eventually."

"We should leave soon," Emma continued, almost breathless, because she couldn't stand just waiting around; just hanging back at the Mills Estate and waiting for Mrs. Mills to strike next. It felt like they were just hanging around, waiting for disaster, and that had never been her thing. She'd always been more eager to run, to pack her things and get away from everything, so this was different. Mostly, because her circumstances were different now; she had Regina, she had Henry, so running just wasn't an option so easily.

"Emma, we can't just-" Regina begun.

But Emma continued. "I feel like a mouse here. Trapped, I dunno, I just – your _mom_." She wasn't making much sense, she knew that, but she had a feeling that Regina would understand it all anyway. "We both know she's going to do something eventually, and us waiting around for it? It just seems _stupid_."

Regina's cheeks puffed out slightly, breath seeping through her lips. "But what if- what if she's _not_ going to do anything, Emma? What if she has realised her mistakes and wants to do better, I mean-" She stopped talking and stared lovingly down at Henry in her arms, her cheeks reddening slightly, and her voice going softer, "She's a _grandma_ now. Wouldn't that change things?"

Emma wanted desperately to believe in Mrs. Mills the same way that Regina did, she wanted to tell her that of course Mrs. Mills could change and see the error of her ways, but Emma wasn't even sure that Regina herself believed it. Who could? Mrs. Mills had been abusive and mean the entire time Emma had known her, and she'd treated Regina horribly all her life. Perhaps Regina was just feeling bad about what she knew was going to happen soon; they were going to leave, and no matter how much Regina loathed her mother, Emma had never doubted that she loved her, too. "Regina, baby," Emma begun, but she didn't know what more to say.

Shaking her head, Regina buried her forehead in Emma's neck, inching closer, her nose cold against Emma's warm skin. "I know," she whispered, because she did know. As much as Emma wanted Regina's wishes and dreams to be true, for Mrs. Mills to have changed at the birth of Henry, they both knew that it was very unlikely. "I just- I don't know if I'm _ready_ yet," she whispered, her lips ghosting over Emma's skin.

The blonde was more than ready to get her family away from the Mills Estate and to a much safer place, but she also knew that she couldn't rush Regina. It was going to be tough for her girlfriend to say goodbye to the only place she had ever called home, to her life in luxury, to her father, but Emma also had to say goodbye to things. She'd have to say goodbye to Daniel, Mulan and Tamara, some of only friends she had ever had, and she'd have to say goodbye to Mr. Mills, too; a man who had showed her so much kindness when everyone else had showed her none.

It wasn't going to be easy on either of them, but they also couldn't raise Henry here. If they stayed, he would be harmed, and if they _stayed –_ Regina would be married off to some prince or king, and Emma would lose her forever.

Emma stroked Regina's back gently, trying to soothe her silent cries. "Then we will not leave yet," Emma whispered, making a promise that she really didn't want to make. It could wait a while, hopefully, just a little longer. "I'm – I'm still pretty sore," she continued, for the sake of Regina's conscience, "I probably shouldn't be riding yet. And Henry's better off here for a little while. Somewhere _safe._ " She didn't say that the only safe thing about them being here was that they were with Regina, that she – in and of herself – was the safest and most secure thing for both of them.

"Thank you," Regina breathed, and Emma's throat was a little wet as she moved to kiss her lips. It was pretty evident that Regina knew exactly what Emma had just done for her, but that they were better off not acknowledging it.

Emma's heart beat with worry, but she forced out a smile. "Anything for you, my darling," she assured her, while mentally promising herself to work even harder on her magic, because she had a pretty bad feeling that she was going to need it very soon.

—-

In the following weeks, whenever Emma had a spare moment, she practiced her magic. She didn't tell Regina, but practiced it in secret. She knew that it would probably be helpful to talk to Regina about it, but she didn't want her to get her hopes up. So far, Emma's magic had been unreliable, and it presented itself at the most different of times; there was no pattern to it, no rules it seemed to follow, so all Emma could do was just try to get the magic out by channelling her emotions.

It was proving to be difficult. _Very_ difficult.

Emma had always had a lot of emotions, but getting them out through magic? Tougher than one might think.

So, Emma tried recalling her anger, her desperation, her hurt, but nothing seemed to work. Those were emotions she so easily felt, always had, but they were nowhere to be found right now. She then tried to find that worry in her somewhere, but all that did was make her antsy and jittery. The most prominent of feelings she experienced right now was love. She loved so much at the moment; more than she had ever thought herself capable of. She loved Henry, she loved Regina. She loved Daniel, Tamara, Mulan and Henry Senior. But none of that translated very well into anything magical.

She recalled the petals with fondness; how they had rained down on her and Regina so effortlessly. But what good were petals against Mrs. Mills and her reign of terror? Emma thought they probably wouldn't be very helpful.

And so, she tried. She tried, and she tried, but nothing seemed to happen for her. She always gave up, huffing and puffing in frustration, before going to see either Henry or Regina to get her spirits up. At least those two she could count on – her beautiful family.

Mrs. Mills left for a couple of days a few weeks later and it was the most relaxed they had been in forever. Everyone at the estate seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief, because at least for those two days that she was gone, Regina, Emma and their little son were safe. They took Henry to meet the horses; held his little face up to Rocinante's muzzle and let them carefully greet each other. They had a picnic with their friends; blankets spread out in the yard beneath the apple tree, Mulan goofing off, and Daniel telling beautiful stories of the small house he grew up in. Stories that made Emma wish to stay at a place like his; have horses and chickens and perhaps even a goat. They'd be able to make a home together like that; perhaps Daniel could even come visit sometime, whenever work allowed it. Henry Senior too, if he managed to sneak away once his wife was busy with all of her very important affairs.

Regina and Emma also got to sneak off together to take a small walk through the meadows while Henry Senior watched his grandson. They were supposed to go explore and enjoy some time to exercise, but they ended up fooling around beneath a cluster of trees very close to the place where they had first met each other. Emma was still sore and could not receive much stimulation, but she took care of Regina eagerly, enjoying how close she could finally be with her girlfriend, and – more importantly – how relaxed and carefree Regina looked now that her mother was away, and they were a good walk from the estate. She moaned Emma's name loudly as she came around her fingers, hair falling in strands from her braid, and cheeks wonderfully flushed.

Emma had never seen anything as beautiful as that, and she caught her lips in a deep, heartful kiss.

They should have known that it was too good to be true; Emma should have prepared herself a little better, but she'd gotten so caught up in the wonderful feeling of it all, that she'd pushed Mrs. Mills and marriage and dark magic to the back of her mind, and so when Mrs. Mills returned from her trip to DunBroch, they were not at all prepared to see her already.

Mrs. Mills returned with a marriage proposal from one of King Fergus' three sons. Prince Hamish wanted a wife, and even though he was not supposed to take the throne – that was going to be his big sister, Princess Merida – Mrs. Mills deemed it good enough for her only child. Emma thought, ruefully, that the only reason Mrs. Mills would ever accept such a proposal was to get Regina _away_ from Emma herself and their son.

Regina was called into her mother's study, and she squeezed Emma's hand tightly as Henry Senior came shuffling after his wife. He shared a worried look with Emma as he handed his grandson off to her, and even though Emma knew she should probably go back to her own chamber, she pressed her ear against the closed door and gently bopped up and down to keep Henry from crying out.

She could not hear what was going on; there were only muffled voices and the steady hum of conversation behind the closed door. Emma strained her ears, held her breath, but she could not make out the words that were being passed back and forth between Regina and her mother. They grew more and more agitated, it appeared, because their voices moved at a rapid speed, and the words meshed together to a stream of something totally unrecognisable. Emma was pretty sure that Henry Senior was not participating in the conversation, because the voices were more female.

A loud groan of frustration was heard from behind the door, and then the sound of something being knocked over – possibly a chair – before the door was pulled open, and the Henry in her arms started crying at the loud noise.

Regina stopped in front of her; her eyes were filled with tears, her cheeks flushed with anger, and her shoulders were shaking with frustration. Emma could make out Mrs. Mills' angry frown behind her in the room, as well as Mr. Mills who was pressed against the wall, safely out of the line of fire. Emma cared for the guy – he was the sweetest – but how he never stood up for his daughter and faced his wife, she would never know.

"Emma, we're leaving," Regina firmly said, before she brushed past Emma and down the hallway.

That, Emma did not need to be told twice. "Fuck yeah," she hummed as she hugged her crying son closer and followed her girlfriend down the hallway.

There was movement behind them – probably Mrs. Mills who did not want to let Regina go without a fight – and Emma sped up, catching up with her girlfriend as they rushed down the grand stairwell in the foyer.

"Regina!" Mrs. Mills called behind them, but Regina did not react. She simply reached for Emma's spare hand and gave it a tight squeeze as she pushed the door to the courtyard open with her shoulder. "Regina!" Mrs. Mills continued.

Emma breathlessly hushed, "I've got everything packed for us in the stables. We can leave _right now_ ," she said.

Pausing, a flicker of a smile flashed over Regina's lips. "You have everything packed? I've hidden supplies with Daniel for _weeks."_

Even if the situation was dire, Emma couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "Great minds and all that," she said as she bent her head down and pecked Regina lightly on the lips.

Regina's hand was warm around her own, and she kept her there, enjoying a quick moment, because _they were really doing this._ They were going to leave. "I suppose so," she hummed, and the painful expression on her face was briefly wiped away in favour of a beautiful smile.

"Get away from my daughter, you filthy stable girl!"

With a sigh, Emma pulled away from Regina to find Mrs. Mills coming down the steps, her gown swishing behind her as she moved quickly. Henry followed after, meek and with a bent head. Emma straightened her back, holding her son tightly to her chest, as she faced the worst oppressor she had met in her entire life. And that was counting years in the system with horrible, mean foster parents.

Regina dropped her hand, taking a step forward to meet her mother head on, conveniently shielding Emma and Henry from her direct line of fire. "Mother," she firmly said, arms crossed across her chest. "No. No more of this! I will not be a pawn in your game. I will not be Queen. I will marry Emma and live happily ever after with our beautiful son."

Mrs. Mills huffed. "That boy is not your _son."_ She clenched her hands, gravel crushing beneath her boots as she walked closer. "And you will do as I say. Prince Hamish is a wonderful man, and you shall be married to him. Do you hear me, Regina? You _will be_ royalty."

"No thank you, Mother," Regina replied, chin jutting out defiantly. "Emma, Henry and I will be leaving now. I beg you not to follow, because we do not want anything to do with you." She dropped her hands once more and turned on her heel to walk towards the stable. "Come on, Emma," she determinedly said.

Raising her hand, Mrs. Mill said, "Regina, you will obey me!" and with a swipe of her hand, Regina was standing still, frozen to the spot in mid-walk.

A groan of frustration left her lips as she pulled at her feet, clearly using all of her strength to get them to move away from the ground, but with no luck. "Mother!" she hissed in frustration. Her hair fell from her intricate updo, strands disrupting her eyes, and she gasped as she kept trying, but to no avail.

Emma stared at her and moved to pull at her arm, but there was nothing she could do. Regina was magically glued to the spot, and the only thing she succeeded at by tugging at her arm, was almost pulling it out of its socket. Henry still cried in her arms and she tried soothing him, bopping him gently from side to side as she shushed, but panic was starting to rise in her throat, because she was starting to fear what lengths Mrs. Mills might go to in order to keep her daughter right where she wanted her. Henry was feeling her desperation, and soothing him right now was simply not an option.

"Regina," Mrs. Mills sighed, clearly displeased and disappointed in these turns of events, "you will do as I say."

Regina's jaw clenched, her entire body on the defence. "No!" she yelled, and Mrs. Mills' retaliation was almost instant.

A blast of dark magic – in colour and without a doubt in intent – shot out of Mrs. Mills' hands and across the courtyard. It hit Regina with a blast; much more powerful than Emma had ever seen before. Her body was flung across the courtyard, her legs separating from the ground with a cracking sound. Her body hit the wooden fence with a thud, before it fell over and landed on the gravel ground.

Emma screamed; she turned her back towards Mrs. Mills and ran across the courtyard to her girlfriend's limp body. Henry was pressed to her chest, and she fell to her knees, and her free hand reached out to tug at Regina's arm, turning her over to look at her, to press an ear against her chest, that, thankfully, was still rising and falling, her heartbeat steady inside of it. Emma breathed her name repeatedly, fear still beating heavily in her belly, as she glanced over Regina's body. Her eyes were closed, her face scrunched up in pain, and her legs stuck out at an odd angle, and there was also a nasty bruise – if one could even call it that, because it was clearly a bruise by dark magic – forming across Regina's chest. Dark and intricate, with purple coursing through her veins.

The gravel crunched behind her, and Emma turned back around, only to find Mrs. Mills looming over her; her shadow dark and long. "Stay away," she huffed, and then she felt it – the anger flared inside of her, and the vibration of her fingers, the energy in her body, it reappeared, just as it had done many times before. Only now, Emma realised that it was actually magic – her magic was presenting itself, reacting in tune with her emotions.

Mrs. Mills laughed, cold and heartless. "You stay away, Miss Swan," she said, acerbic. A booted toe came out to kick at Emma's knee. "Stay away from my daughter. Take your filthy offspring and get out of my sight, or _you will regret it_."

"No," Emma stuttered out, through her clenched jaw.

"Don't you dare disobey me," Mrs. Mills repeated – apparently it was her favourite phrase – as she stared down at her from above. "You _work_ here, you are nothing but a servant. Just be thankful that I gave you a place to stay for as long as I did." She shook her head at Emma, her face growing softer as her eyes settled on Regina who let out a small whimper, "Regina darling," she hushed, "you do understand that I'm doing this for you, sweetheart? That I only want what's best for you."

Regina coughed; her eyes squinted into two small slits. "No, you're not. _You're doing this for you_."

Something flashed across Mrs. Mills' face at those words, and she moved forward – to do what, Emma didn't know – but she was threatened nonetheless, and she did _not_ want Mrs. Mills anywhere near Regina with her abusive actions and diminishing words. Her action was subconscious, and she lashed out without even thinking. "Stay away!" she grunted, pushing forward, and as she did, a blast of white energy escaped her fingers and sent Mrs. Mills flying backwards.

The older woman must have been entirely unprepared for the lash, because she did not do anything to counteract it. She soared into the air, body twisting, and within thirty seconds she was lying on the ground, a good 15 feet away, on the other side of the courtyard. Everything happened so quickly after that; Henry Senior moved to his wife's side, just as Daniel came up the hill on the smallest carriage owned by the Mills'. Bug and Rocinante were in front of it, and they came to a halt, Daniel jumping off the seat and to the ground before the carriage had even stopped completely.

"Let me take her," he silently whispered to Emma, picking up Regina bridal-style to get her inside the small carriage. As Emma moved to open the door, Henry still carried in one arm, she could see that he had stocked all of their supplies in there as well.

Emma closed the door behind her girlfriend as let herself be ushered by Daniel to the seat out front. "Daniel..." she begun, but she wasn't even sure what she was going to say.

Somewhere, behind them, Mrs. Mills was getting to her feet, and Emma could see out of the corner of her eye how she wanted to cross the yard and stop them from leaving. There was a determined set to her shoulders, and only Henry's insistent tug at her arm, his low murmur of something in her ear, kept her from retaliating straight away.

Daniel's smile was painful. "Here," he said, pulling out Emma's map – the one Regina had given her what seemed like forever ago by the lake – from his trousers. "Follow this. I marked a place for you guys – there is a cottage there, my uncle used to live there, but he recently passed, and my father allowed for you two to stay there. Go. Go, and don't look back."

"But Regina-" Emma begun. She wasn't sure how, but Regina was going to need some kind of care. Mrs. Mills' magic was vicious, and Regina had taken a violent hit.

Nodding, Daniele kept pushing the map into her hands. "There is a place. A lake called Nostros. It can heal even the darkest of magic. Go there, save her, and then go to the cottage."

"Cora please," they heard Henry say behind them, and Emma cast a quick glance over Daniel's shoulder to see Mrs. Mills angrily pull herself from Henry's grip and stalk across the yard.

With a speeding heart, Emma stared back at Daniel. She could read the gravity of the situation in his eyes, and she knew that their window of opportunity was quickly disappearing. "Thank you," she whispered to Daniel and took the map out of his hand, before she pressed a kiss to his cheek and clumsily crawled onto the carriage, Henry in her arms.

Mrs. Mills was getting closer, and Daniel handed Emma the reins, helping her get them into one hand. Henry Senior stalked behind his wife, eyes mournful and panic clear as day on his face.

"Cora, don't you dare harm that child. He's our _grandson_ ," Emma heard him say, and that was the last straw.

She met Daniel's eyes once more, and with a tug on the reins, she sent Rocinante and Bug off across the gravel. She heard Mrs. Mills yell out, heard Daniel scream, but Emma did not look back. She saw a flash of purple magic, but she did not dare to turn back around. She blinked the tears away, ignored Henry's heartfelt cries and kept pushing the horses until they were riding through the first line of trees.

This was not the way Emma had wanted them to leave; in a rush, unable to say goodbye to everyone they cared about, and with an almost unconscious Regina in the backseat. She had pictured riding out of there on a sunny morning, ready for new adventures, with Regina out front to steer the horses, while she took care of Henry inside the carriage.

But such was not the fate of their time at the Mills Estate. They had waited too long, reluctant to say goodbye, hoping to keep things familiar for just _one more day._ Now there she was, riding away, her girlfriend barely breathing, and with an inconsolable child in her lap. It was scary, it was frustrating, it was everything that Emma did not feel prepared for, but it was what she had to do.

Emma did not stop riding for a very long time. Not until she was all cried out, until Henry's cries of hunger could no longer be ignored, until the horses needed water – not until she was a safe enough distance from Mrs. Mills and the estate.

She stopped and made sure to check on Regina, who was barely conscious inside the carriage. She fed Henry and made a makeshift bed for him on the seat next to her; she found some food in the carriage, curtesy of Mulan, and then she looked at her map and found Lake Nostros. She held the map up in front of Bug, entirely out of her depths in this strange land that she had no idea how to navigate. She met his soulful eyes and pointed a finger to the lake.

"We need to go there," she said, nuzzling his muzzle. "I trust you, OK? Just get us there."

Bug whinnied, and as soon as Emma had the reins in her hands, they set off through the forest.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

A/N: I just wanted to thank you all for your kind reviews and support. We're almost at the end now, so stay with me for the final stretch!

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINETEEN**

Regina was in and out of it as they drove through the forest; all Emma could tell whenever she paused to check on her girlfriend, was that she was in severe pain. Emma wasn't able to make contact with her, and when she basically ripped Regina's gown in two in order to check on her, the nasty black bruise had spread a lot already, covering her chest and down to her lower abdomen.

Emma could tell that it was dark magic, even if she knew basically nothing about magic. It was clearly going to kill her girlfriend if she didn't get to this Lake Nostros that Daniel had spoken of. Her chest tightened painfully when she thought about Daniel. She had no way of knowing what had happened to him, but she was pretty sure that Mrs. Mills had hurt him somehow for aiding them with their escape. Daniel had put it all on the line for them with no thought to his own safety, and Emma would forever be grateful to him for that.

Bug and Rocinante steered through the forest with a purpose, and Emma's hands tingled as she held the reins. She had faith in their horses – especially Bug, because they had overcome so much together – and she was certain they were on the right track.

They rode through the night, because there was no time to stop. Henry slept on and off, demanded attention and care, and Emma could do nothing but try to give it to him, one hand on his belly in the seat, the other on the reins. He was a good kid though, barely made a fuss, as if sensing that the situation would only grow worse if he did.

The summer morning was already getting brighter when Emma saw water in the distance. It glistened against the first rays of sunlight, looking almost serene, and as the carriage came to a halt by the lakeside, Emma was sure that this was the right place. She pressed a kiss to Henry's forehead, promising to get back to him very soon, before she climbed off the carriage and stared at the water. She wasn't sure _what_ she was supposed to do. The lake water held the magic, she had understood by what Daniel said, but was Regina supposed to drink it? Bathe in it?

She stopped by Bug's muzzle, pressing a kiss between his eyes. "You did good, boy," she said to him and he neighed to her softly, although he appeared slightly uneasy. Rocinante shifted too, evidently not so happy to be here right now. "We're gonna fix your mom, yeah?" Emma told him and pressed a kiss to his face as well, "and then we're gonna go find a nice place to live."

Emma decided that it made most sense for Regina to _drink_ the water, so she went into the packed carriage and rummaged through their belongings until she found a small vial in Regina's packed luggage (because she would have thought far enough ahead to pack something _like that,_ whereas Emma herself had stocked up on clothes and stuff). Regina had packed other necessities that Emma knew nothing about, but it was good, because they were going to need them.

"Baby," Emma whispered as she ran a hand over Regina's sweaty hair, "I'll be back soon, yeah? And you're gonna be _fine._ "

Regina murmured something unintelligible, her brown eyes unfocused as she opened them to look at Emma. "'ma?"

Emma smiled softly, kissing her dry lips. "I promise you'll be alright. I'll be right back, and you're gonna drink the water, and we'll find the cottage, and everything will be _wonderful._ I promise."

A small flash of panic or confusion appeared in Regina's eyes as Emma pulled back from her, but her grip was so weak that she could not keep Emma from leaving the carriage. Not that Emma would ever consider not doing this, even if the atmosphere around the lake was creeping her out. She closed the door to the carriage behind her, ignoring Regina's whimpers with a bleeding heart, before she stepped forward again, uncorking the vial with determination set in her chest.

As she crossed the small distance to the lakeside, she could hear Bug and Rocinante grow even more uneasy behind her. The water loomed, clear as air, although she could not make out the bottom of the lake at all. Emma crouched, cork in her her mouth and vial in her fingers, and as she lowered it to the top of the lake, she turned around to cast a reassuring smile to her horses. Bug's frenzied whinnies grew louder and he stomped his legs, clearly wanting to get away from the carriage, but unable to.

"Bug," Emma reassured him in a low voice, and she saw him pause, his ears moving to catch her voice, "we'll be fine, boy."

With those words, Emma turned back around and lowered the vial into the lake. For a second, she watched the water fill into it easily, flowing naturally and filling the small glass flask, but all of a sudden, just as she moved to pull back, long fingers wrapped around her wrist and she was pulled forward into the water. Emma yelped, surprised by the sudden movement, and as she blinked to figure out what had happened, she came face to face with… Regina?

She corked the vial quickly, eyes round, as she just stared at her girlfriend for a moment, taken entirely by surprise. Regina smiled at her, softly, her gown a beacon of light in the deep lake water.

Needing air, Emma swam upwards by kicking her legs – she had never properly learned to swim, but she knew the gist of it – and as she broke through the surface, Regina was right there in front of her, threading water, and with her long hair beautifully flowing behind her in the clear water, her white gown almost see-through as she smiled at Emma. Emma's own glasses were dotted with water and it was kind of difficult to see Regina properly for it, but it was most definitely her.

"Reg- Regina?" Emma stuttered, not able to draw her eyes away from the smooth, plain skin of her chest. All signs of the dark magic were gone, and her skin was as beautiful as it always had been. "Did you – did you jump in after me?" Emma shook slightly, the water cold even during the summer, and she threaded water as she cast a small glance back to her carriage where both Bug and Rocinante appeared to be even more uneasy than they had been before. "You could have told me, I would have – I would have helped you get in."

Apparently the water only worked if you bathed in it. Of course Emma was about to have gone about this in the entirely wrong way. Of course _Regina_ knew what was right. She'd probably read it in one of her many books. But what did it matter anyway, Regina was in the water now, and she appeared well, so that was all that was important.

Emma waved at her, moving to turn back to the shore. "Well, let's get- get moving then," she said. She was cold, unbearably so, and she frowned when she realised that Regina didn't appear cold at all, but rather seemed to have a wonderful time. She played with the water with her hands, a serene smile on her beautiful face.

" _No_ ," Regina said at last, her voice stern and hard. A hand grabbed Emma's wrist, squeezing it tight.

Pausing, Emma turned back to look at her. "No?" she questioned. "But, Re-Regina, we have to-to-to get a move on, Henry needs a proper feed and sleep, and the-the hor-horses need rest."

Regina's frown turned into a smile, appeasing and beautiful. "I need to show you something first, Em-ma" she murmured as she swam backwards, her gown flowing behind her as she moved towards the middle of the lake.

A hand waved at Emma to follow, and with one small glance cast towards the horses and their son at the lakeside, Emma kicked her legs to swim after her girlfriend. "What is… so-so-so important out here?" she demanded to know. She couldn't explain what it was, but something made her uneasy. Whether it was Regina's entirely relaxed demeanour or the way the horses kept making noises, she wasn't sure, but something was not as it seemed.

Pausing, Regina stared into the lake. "I saw a treasure down there," she explained, her face motionless, "and I thought – we could use that treasure."

Emma tried to see towards the bottom of the lake, but she couldn't even see her own feet, so something about that did not sound entirely right. She frowned. "But Regina, we don't- we don't need the t-treasure." She stared up again, meeting Regina's eyes which were so intensely locked on her own, almost scarily so. "As long as we have each- each other, He-He-Henry and the horses, we don't- we don't need all that, o-okay?" She reached forward to hold her hand out for Regina, "Let's just go-go?"

She was getting so cold now, barely able to get her words out, and Regina just stared at her hand, apparently contemplating this move, which honestly, Emma did _not_ understand. How could she appear so fine when Emma was freezing her ass off, and her tunic was getting heavy and her boots were filling with water, and all Regina cared about was some treasure?

When Regina didn't reply, Emma sighed. "I'm- I'm going back in, I'm co-co-cold," she ended up saying. If Regina wanted the treasure, they'd have to make a plan to get it up, because it was not going to happen right now.

Emma turned to move, intending to turn back to shore, but a firm hand on her boot and an even firmer " _No_!" pulled her back. Emma yelped, just as both Rocinante and Bug whinnied even louder on the shore, which caused Henry to break into a loud wail from his makeshift baby-seat. Emma felt herself being dragged even further away from the lakeside, and she kicked her foot, not understanding what Regina was even doing and _why_ she was doing it, but as the other girl started to drag her under the water, Emma felt herself panic, because she was not able to hold her breath for long enough to find som treasure.

She kicked – desperate to get back onto the surface – and her foot slipped out of her boot, staying in Regina's hand, as Emma came up for air. "Regina, _what the fuck_?" she spluttered, not even stuttering, and Regina appeared in front of her again, now with an angry expression on her face. Emma wondered then – had the lake water cured her but at the same time done something to her personality? Because _this was not_ her sweet and wonderful girlfriend, something was up.

Another loud cry was heard from shore, and as Emma turned her head around to catch a glimpse at what was going on, she found Regina stumbling out of the carriage, still very much dressed in her ripped gown and with black all over her chest, and Emma felt her throat tighten. As she turned back around once more, it was obviously _not_ Regina who looked back at her. She yelped, because some kind of creature with long blonde hair, wet and glittery skin and a crown on her head, stared back at her.

"Emma," she said, and Emma's only response was to kick her foot right in her chest and turn around to swim backwards to shore. Panic roared inside of her, because it was beginning to dawn on her that this woman – creature – whatever she was – was trying to lure her to her death like some kind of siren from the stories. Much like everything else in the Enchanted Forest, the fairytales and folklore came from it, and so of course sirens were real, too.

The siren grabbed her other foot, and Emma kicked again, struggling to turn over in the siren's iron grip. She was a lot stronger than she looked, and she had a smirk on her face as Emma turned over in her hand and kicked and kicked and kicked. The siren would not let her go, and she pulled her under, dragging her towards the bottom of the lake so quickly that Emma barely managed to hold in her breath. Everything turned murkier around her, but as her feet hit the bottom, she was still struggling in the siren's grasp, and Emma saw literal _bones_ scattered on the lake ground around her. She was pretty sure there was a scull right next to her foot, and the siren smirked at her, holding her steady.

All Emma could think of was Regina on the surface; Regina who was in desperate _need_ of the vial Emma still had firmly fisted in her hand; of Henry who was going to need parents, and if she didn't return with this because she died, Regina would die, too, and then Henry would be left alone to whatever fate would fall upon him. Dying by the hands of the Siren of the Lake was _not an option_ , and desperation soared so vividly inside of her that Emma could almost touch it. Her hands tingled, and she noticed that surge of power she was slowly starting to familiarise herself with.

When the siren moved to pull her even further towards her cave, Emma was already starting to feel the strain on her lungs, on her chest, because she needed air to breathe. She shook her head at the siren, thinking _no more_ , and as she did so, a blast of white power shot from her hands and sent the siren floating backwards through the lake. Emma kicked up immediately, swimming hurriedly towards the surface, not daring to look back. She was pretty sure she had not killed the siren, just slowed her down, and as she broke for air, gasping desperately as the sounds of the world came back to her – Regina's desperate cries, Henry's wails, and the horses' uneasiness – she coughed up water and felt fingers clasp around her feet again.

She shot magic downwards once more, hitting the siren's face, and then swam backwards again. She kept pausing to shoot out white blasts of magic, suddenly finding it so easily inside of her, easier than she ever had before, and when she finally reached the lakeside, she crawled up to dry land with a heaving chest. She coughed, spluttering, trying to catch her breath, but the vial was clasped tightly in her hand, and in the middle of the lake, she could see a sour face, glaring at her for a moment, before it descended underneath the water.

Henry's cries were still loud, and Emma came to her knees, trembling, almost unable to stand. She made her way across the ground, falling to hands beside Regina, who was still not faring well at all.

"Emma," she breathlessly whispered, the first words she'd properly been able to speak since they left the estate, and Emma cradled her head in her lap, pulling the cork from the vial with her teeth and with shaking hands. She forced Regina's mouth open and dumped the entire contents of the vial into her mouth.

It felt wrong, but she clasped a hand over Regina's mouth to force her to swallow, and as she did, she spluttered, because she finally came to rest on Emma's lap.

Emma stared down at her, eyes moving between her face and the open gown on her chest, and she felt her eyes widen as she saw the colour of Regina's skin change right in front of her. The blackness started disappearing at the edges, moving slowly inwards in a slightly uneven pattern to the point where it had originated – the place where Mrs. Mills' blast had hit Regina. The purple veins disappeared alongside it, fading into nothing. Regina's chest heaved heavily, but as the blackness disappeared entirely, she drew in smaller breathes, and all of a sudden, brown eyes were staring up at Emma, clearer than they had been for the last day.

Emma had not even realised that she had been crying; only when Regina's shaking hand came to rest upon her cheek, did she feel the wetness. "You're okay," she whispered, green meeting brown, and the entire world falling into place around them. Henry's cries fell into a whimper, the horses calmed down, and the sound of the wind in the trees had now returned.

"You did it," Regina breathed. Her voice was hoarse, her cheeks flushed, and she was still sweaty and glistening, but she was _alive._

"Almost didn't," Emma bitterly replied, because it had been a close call. She had felt that something wasn't right, yet she had blindly followed the siren anyway. Lured into her claws as many men before her.

Regina shook her head, fond. "Don't be so hard on yourself. I've read the stories. As far as I know, no one has ever made it out of there alive." And then she pulled Emma down for a chaste kiss.

As Emma pulled back, she let their breaths mingle for a moment, their noses touching, but Henry still needed attention, and she carefully helped Regina into a sitting position before moving to the front of the carriage to get their son. He was hungry, of course, and Emma shed her wet tunic, hanging it off the side of the carriage to dry a little, before she held him to her breast where he eagerly found a nipple.

Regina still appeared shaken, but she was hungry too, because she got out some supplies and quickly fixed some food for both her and Emma to munch on, while she, herself, changed out of her ruined gown to find a tunic in their bags. She was quiet as she did so, packing the tunic, even if it was ruined, and as she sat down next to Emma on the ground, an apple in her hand, she looked thoughtful.

"Are you alright?" Emma whispered, switching Henry to the other breast. Of course she knew it was a stupid question, because who could possibly be alright after everything that had just happened to them, but she had to start somewhere.

Staring out at the lake, Regina nodded softly. "Yes, I'm… I've read about Lake Nostros a lot. I tried to tell you, when you came to me in the carriage, but I – I couldn't get the words out." She appeared miffed at herself, disappointed that she had not been able to warn Emma about the siren, but Emma was having none of that.

She reached her spare hand out and gently took Regina's. "Don't be mad at yourself. You were dying, you couldn't have-"

"-but you could have died," Regina interrupted her, and when she looked up, there were tears in her eyes.

"But I didn't," was all Emma could reply with.

Regina took another bite of her apple, chewing softly as she pondered. "I think I'm going to keep this core," she said, as she stared down at the red fruit. "It's from my own tree. I want to see if I can get it to grow again. To remind me of home."

Emma felt a pang of guilt as she looked at her girlfriend. She knew it had been inevitable for them to leave, and that Regina had wanted to escape her mother's claws just as much as Emma had, but she couldn't help but feel that hadn't it been for her and Henry, Regina would not have left quite so soon; she would have been able to say goodbye to her father, her friends, everything she held dear. "That's a good idea," is all she managed to reply.

Nodding, a soft smile came over Regina's face at that. "I can't believe we made it," she murmured, voice so pure and innocent. "We actually _left._ Mother didn't stop us." She stared into the sky, the sun warming her face and making her look so, so beautiful. "We're gonna have a _life,_ Emma. You and me!"

She looked so happy at that, so young and carefree that Emma could not help but be affected by it. She grinned, moving Henry to her shoulder to burp him. "Yeah!" she hummed, patting his little back. She was still shaking in the cold, her glasses dotted with dried lake water, but the sunshine was _beautiful,_ and they had actually made it.

"But where will we live?" Regina murmured, a slight frown marring her face at the thought.

Emma's chest expanded happily. "Don't worry. Daniel's got our back," she said, remembering their friend fondly. "He's marked a cottage for us to stay in. It's ours forever if we want it."

Regina's eyes widened comically, and she stood up, quickly moving to the front of the carriage to find the map. She folded it out on the ground in front of them, eyes immediately zooming in on the small X marked in Daniel's neat handwriting. "I know where this is about," she murmured, finger trailing from where they were now – Lake Nostros – across the map to the small X. "About a day's journey further from here, I reckon."

"That sounds good," Emma replied as she pressed a kiss to Henry's cheek. "Can you hold him for a moment? I need some dry clothes before we continue."

Regina took Henry from Emma's hands, cradling him carefully to her chest as she breathed in his hair. "You also need to sleep. You should stay in the carriage with Henry, and I will continue the rest of the way."

Emma paused as she reached for a pair of lighter trousers, pulling them out of her bag. "Sure. But you'll need to find a lake without a homicidal monster along the way so the horses can rest and eat and drink."

With a frown, Regina nodded. "Yes, yes. Then I should probably bathe." She got off the ground at that, folding the map with one hand as she carried Henry. "Did Daniel talk anything about meeting us at the cottage at some point?"

Not wanting to reply, Emma fussed with her pants for a moment longer, tying them around her belly and looking for her other pair of boots. The ones she had lost in the lake had been her favourite ones, but thankfully she had packed another pair – otherwise she would have been very screwed.

"Emma?" Regina's stern voice cut through, and as Emma pulled out of the carriage once more, her boots in her hands, Regina was eying her with a very expectant look on her face. "What did Daniel say?"

"Uhm," Emma fidgeted, dropping her boots to the ground. "Daniel, uh, I'm not actually sure that- there was this _scream,_ and uh," she stopped talking, not quite able to get the words over her lips.

Regina's face slowly grew paler, her lips drooping. "Emma, what?"

Emma swallowed loudly and took in a deep breath. "Once we left, there was this scream. It was Daniel's, I'm sure of it. But we- we were leaving, he _told_ me to, and I just – I'm not sure what it means, Regina, I'm not sure what your mother might have done to him."

Tears started forming in Regina's eyes once more, and she blinked rapidly, wanting to force them away. "But- but how will we know?"

"I'm not sure," Emma murmured as she stepped closer, carefully placed a hand around Regina's waist to draw her into a small hug, mindful of Henry in the middle of them. "All I know is that he wanted for us to be safe and happy. He did _everything_ to help us. He was even willing to sacrifice himself, I'm sure of it. For us. For Henry."

Regina looked down at the small infant in her arms; their son, locked safely between them with drooping eyes, and a little smile reappeared on her face. "Daniel loved Henry," she murmured, burying her nose in Henry's faint locks.

Emma smiled. "He did."

"Then our son shall be named Henry Daniel," Regina quickly decided, turning her head to meet Emma's gaze. "To remember what Daniel did for us."

"Henry Daniel," Emma agreed, and they stood there for a moment longer, before they got themselves together enough to continue their journey to their new home.

—-

On the way to the cottage, they stopped by a small creek for a rest and a swim in the lake. They stocked up on water, and the horses were relieved of the carriage for just a few hours. Emma nursed Henry, her back against the trunk of a tree, as she watched Regina bathe in the creek, hair long and wet behind her; watched as she let the sun dry her naked skin on land, with no shame over her body; the patch of hair between her thighs, as she groomed the horses and cared for them.

They needed to get to the cottage to feel safer, but they were already further from the Mills Estate than they had ever been before (except on their trip to Maldovia), which severely affected their moods. Regina was already more relaxed than Emma had ever seen her before, and Emma could not _believe_ they had actually made it. It was unbelievable how they were finally free, just the three of them, and they had actually managed to do it – they could be _them,_ live in their cottage and be together without worry.

As Regina steered them the rest of the way towards the cottage, Emma read in one of her books (because of course Regina had packed all the books she had thought they might need); she studied about magic barriers, a kind of security measure she wished to make around the grounds once they had settled, just to feel safer, more secure, in their new home.

They made it to the cottage before noon the next day, and they were both beyond tired; so tired that they barely managed to check anything out before they crashed on the bed in the corner of the main room in the cottage. Next morning, everything seemed quite much, but Regina's excited smile as she pulled up her sleeves sent Emma's heart soaring

"I can't believe we're going to _live_ here!"

And so it begun. The first few weeks consisted of getting the cottage sorted out. It needed a thorough cleaning, and some of the furniture needed to be fixed, which Emma had fun trying to do since she had never done woodwork before. But they took their time, relaxing and spending time with Henry, having sex in _their bed_ and figuring out the surrounding woods. Their food supply started thinning out pretty quickly, but there was a small village a four hours journey away, and Emma almost fainted when she had to get on top of Bug for the very first time to go there and get supplies. Regina didn't want to do it in case someone recognised her, in case her mother had sent out goons to search for her, so Emma simply had to do it.

They had some coppers, silvers and golds from the estate, but Emma knew they had to be more self-sufficient if they wanted to make things work. She returned from her trip a few weeks after with two chickens and a lot of seeds that they planted alongside the core from Regina's apple.

There were tools in the small shed that Emma quickly became very familiar with; while Regina scurried around inside the house, and Henry slept in a sling outside in the sun, she worked on fixing everything. The cottage even had a small well to pull up fresh water, and she spent many hours thinking of Daniel, thanking him, and praying that he was alright, while she worked in the summer sun.

There was a big hole in the ceiling that she managed to fix, and it took a while, but she built Henry a crib, while also fixing the fence to keep in the horses – not that she thought they would run off on them, but Regina thought it was safer. It was not as calm and romantic as she had first pictured it would be, but it was _theirs,_ and they were fixing it up, making it a home. She even studied her magic in the evenings while Regina took up knitting to keep Henry – and secondarily them – clothed.

They set up a familiar routine, each day fearing Mrs. Mills' vengeance a little less more, until it almost disappeared when Emma finally managed her magic well enough to place a protective shield in a circle around the perimeter of their home. Time basically flew by for them, and suddenly they had been in their cottage for more than two months, and it was autumn.

Henry was growing, and Emma felt Regina's devotion so vividly everyday; cared for and loved in a way she had never thought she'd be, no less deserve. Was it different from what she had thought growing up? Yes. It surely was, but it didn't matter, because being with Regina and Henry was everything that she needed to be happy.

They ventured into the village once a week for supplies, Regina eventually daring to come with if she wore a hat and a scarf, and they enjoyed the small interactions with other people and contemplated if they should perhaps get a goat as well, to get some milk.

It was one day when Emma was attempting to milk said goat for the very first time that the alert on their magic barrier went off. Emma dropped her hands to her thighs, leaning away from the goat to make sure. She held her breath, ears on high alert, listening for the sound once more. If she had done the shield correctly, a second barrier would go off when the guest ventured closer to their home.

Regina stepped through the open doorway, Henry awake in her arms. "Did you hear that?" she asked. She was worried; Emma could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes.

Emma nodded, shoulders tense.

And then the barrier went off again.

 _How could she have found us so quickly?_ Emma stood up at once, ushering Regina back into the cottage. "We've barely had any time," she grumbled, because they just got here, and they wanted more time to be a family before doing this. They had always known it was going to happen eventually, but not so soon.

"Emma," Regina murmured, catching Emma's gaze and reaching for her hand, "darling. Emma, it might not even be _her."_

"Stay inside," Emma hissed. The panic rose in her throat, and she shut the door to the cottage, hoping that Regina would hide near the back, so she could make a run for it with Henry if she needed to.

Emma wiped her hands in her pants, palms sweaty, as she turned on the spot, not quite sensing where the intrusion had happened. The sun beamed down on them, ruthless with its fall rays of light. The leaves were all different colours, dotting the ground as they fell from the sky, and Regina had begun talking about stocking up for the winter. Both in the pantry, but also in their closet. They needed to warm up, she said. Emma hadn't been in the Enchanted Forest during the winter months before, but according to Regina, they could be ruthless.

Glancing around, Emma tried to catch a glimpse of something askew, but everything seemed as the ordinary. But of course Mrs. Mills wouldn't announce her presence just like that; she'd be sneakier about, strike suddenly. Emma _knew_ this.

It was eerie, the way her senses were on high alert, listening for the slightest disturbance in the otherwise familiarity of the forest around her. She froze, pulling her hands back to recall her magic when a rustle in the leaves across from her in the small clearing made her pause.

She saw something… blonde?

"Who's there?" Emma demanded to know. She managed a firm voice, the complete opposite as to what she was feeling on the inside.

A head poked out of the line of trees; blonde curls, pale skin, a smiling face with dimples – the entirely opposite of what Emma had been expecting in Cora Mills.

"Regina?" the blonde woman queried, stepping outside, hands held in a defensive position. She was dressed in forest green, quite smaller than Emma, but with a frown on her face. "I'm looking for Regina," she said. She stopped, undoubtedly taking note of Emma's offensive stance.

Emma swallowed, her throat dry. She took note of the woman; a woman who looked completely harmless, but who could be sure? Perhaps Cora Mills had more accomplices than they'd ever thought. Emma did not get a bad vibe from her though, so she sagged her shoulders. Relaxed a little. "Who's asking?" she questioned.

"I'm her fairy godmother." The woman stepped closer, folding her hands neatly in front of her belly. "Tinkerbell. And you must be Emma!"

She sounded eager, almost scarily so, but she did not appear to be lying. However, Emma had never heard of a Tinkerbell before, except for in the stories about Neverland and Peter Pan that she had been told growing up. But that Tinkerbell had been a lot smaller, but perhaps just as perky. "Aren't you a bit too big to be a fairy?"

Tinkerbell looked offended. "Hey!"

"Just sayin'," Emma shrugged.

The door to the cottage was pushed open and Regina stepped outside, Henry still in her arms, and with a smile on her face. "Tinkerbelle!" she happily greeted.

Tinkerbelle sagged with relief as she rushed across the clearing. "Regina, thank heaven!" She gave her a peck on the cheek, her eyes lingering on Henry. "So glad I finally found you. And this is Henry Junior, I suppose?" Her dimples were deep, and Emma was starting to sense that this person was not a danger, so she dropped her hands and stepped towards them.

Regina nodded. "Yes, this is my son, Henry." She had that look in her eyes, the one she always got whenever she spoked of, or looked at, Henry, and it never ceased to do funny things to Emma's stomach. "But what are you doing here?"

Tinkerbell's eyes turned wider, her pesky smile dropping. "I've lost my wings," she sadly announced, and Emma had no idea what that meant (although she could probably make an educated guess), but she could tell that it was bad, because Regina gasped accordingly.

"Why?"

With another sigh, Tinkerbell sat down on a turned over bucket, and Regina fell to her butt on the stoop. "It's a long story, but Blue wasn't happy with my choice to come see you."

Emma joined them; she curled her legs into a cross in the grass, not quite minding the dirt on her trousers. They were always dirty, it seemed, because she worked outside all of the time, and Regina moaned about having to keep her clean on a daily basis.

"It's my fault?" Regina questioned, sounding guilty almost immediately.

Automatically, Emma's hand ventured to her thigh and gave it a small squeeze; just to let her know that she was there, and that she supported her. "When was this?"

Regina glanced at Emma, her cheeks slightly tinged with pink. "It was a… some months ago? When you first got to the estate. Tinkerbell came to warn me about my timeline, and I was curious to know about…" she breathed out, her brown eyes glazing over as they looked at Emma, turning softer with warmth and care, "…about True Love," she finished, suddenly shy.

Emma felt herself flush, and she squeezed Regina's thigh once more.

Tinkerbell nodded her head, suddenly serious. "Yeah, and I'm _technically not supposed to_ talk to my fairy godchild?" She blinked, shrugging her shoulders. "So Blue got really mad at me, and she took my wings, but I couldn't just _sit by_!"

With a frown, Regina said, "What do you mean?"

"She's mapped it out for you, Regina, all of it," Tinkerbell said, voice airy and light, but at the same time serious. "And I can just _see_ how much you'll have to go through before you get your Happily Ever After."

Regina glanced briefly at Emma, her lips quivering. "But… I have though, right? I have Emma and Henry now."

Lips thin, Tinkerbell shook her head. Her curls bounced softly, blowing in the wind. "Your happiness was not supposed to come already, the timeline doesn't add up, something-" she swallowed, brow furrowed, "-something has _messed it up,_ and I wanted you to know…" She licked her lips, eyes hard. "I wanted you to know that it's not over yet, I can tell. You're not there yet, Regina."

Emma's breath hitched. She wasn't sure she believed in fairy godmothers and timelines and Happily Ever Afters, but it was evident that Regina did, and Emma had not grown up in the Enchanted Forest, so she wasn't used to the customs of it. Not in the way that Regina was. "So you… risked your wings to tell Regina?"

"Sure did," Tinkerbell affirmed. "But I wanted to, because she's my _godchild._ " She glanced back at Regina. Her hands played with the grass around her, plucking at straws and pulling at them, twisting them into nothing. "I just wanted you to be prepared, Regina. There's still so much pain in your future."

Regina met Emma's eyes, and Emma could see her swallow loudly, her throat bobbing. She'd really thought this might be it for now, that they were finally safe, but apparently there was still a while to go yet, at least if you trusted Tinkerbell and the future that someone blue had mapped out for her. "But…" Emma wasn't sure what she was going to say, so she stopped talking.

With a sigh, Regina said, "But I will get my Happily Ever After, right?"

"Right," Tinkerbell promised, but there was a slight furrow between her eyes, still. "I couldn't quite see it all, there was some variables that even Blue couldn't place, like… like your future just _pauses_ at some point, but…" She nodded her head, offering Regina a supportive smile. "You'll get it."

Regina's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank you, Tinkerbell."

Tinkerbell pulled herself off the ground. "Anytime, Regina. I'll make sure to come by and check on you sometime, but for now, I have to… I have to figure out what to do with my life," she mused, glancing slightly around the place as she stuck her hands into her pockets. "I've told you now, though, so at least you know it's not over yet. I mean… that's something, right?" She appeared to need their confirmation, to know that she had done something right, so Emma nodded her head.

"Sure," she murmured, because Regina didn't say anything.

Tinkerbell sighed, "But I'll see you three around?"

"See you," Regina said, and Tinkerbell squeezed Henry's little foot with her hand, before she offered them an awkward wave. Then she turned around on her heel and walked out of the clearing.

Emma crept closer to Regina, tucking herself against her side and pressed her mouth to her neck in a sweet kiss. They watched her go in silence, making sure that she was really gone, and Emma hugged her girlfriend, a hand on her son's belly, as she murmured, "We'll be alright, won't we?" She wasn't sure what had just happened, but it sounded like Regina would get her happiness after all, and that was the most important thing. Was it not?

Regina swallowed again. Loud and clear in Emma's ears. "We'll be alright," she husked, but it didn't sound like she completely believed it.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Fall and wither were cold and long; the days were short, and Emma spent them working hard outside. She chopped wood and kept the animals comfortable, while jumping on the spot to keep warm. The nights were longer, the dark looming around their home, enveloping them in this little bubble of cosy secludedness, where they were the only people for miles around.

They started only going into the village every two or three weeks, having stocked up on everything they'd possibly need. They spent their days inside their home. Henry grew bigger quickly, making babbling sounds and crawling around on his belly as they cheered him on.

Emma and Regina got to know each other on an entirely different level, as well. There was not much space in their little home, and they only had each other to talk to, which made for a challenge on most days, although one that Emma would never change for anything. Regina was not great at being confined in such close quarters, and she took to walking around outside in the fresh air. She came back with flushed cheeks and a better mood, and Emma watched as she blossomed into this young woman, suddenly seeming much older than her age. She was a great mother, and an even better girlfriend.

She was filled with so much sass that Emma experienced now that she was truly out of her mother's claws. They were still aware that Cora could find them at anytime, but as the weeks progressed into months, and the leaves disappeared to make room for an abundance of snow, they grew complacent, feeling more secure than they had ever done before. With the thick snow covering the ground, their magic barrier barely made a sound, only occasionally for a large deer, or that one time when a chimera had come too close to their home.

They spent Christmas in their small cottage; Emma had made a car for Henry out of wood – with rolling wheels and everything – and Regina had knitted him a small teddy bear. Emma had made a a bargain with a blacksmith in the village, and presented Regina with a small ring. She knew what it represented, although she did not give it to her with the loaded words attached. They were going to end up there one day, however, there was not a doubt in Emma's mind about it, and when Regina slipped on the ring, she knew that Regina knew it, too. Regina got Emma a painting of the three of them that she had paid an artist from the village to make. It was the only thing resembling a photograph that she could have, and Emma carried it with her oftentimes, rolled together and tucked beneath her tunic, as it was made of parchment, the only thing Regina had been able to afford. She looked at it often, and it brought tears to her eyes. All in all, that was the best Christmas Emma had ever experienced.

The snow started melting as they entered the new year, and the one year anniversary of Emma's presence in the Enchanted Forest was quickly approaching. It was weird to think that she had only been there for a year; so much had happened in such a short amount of time, and on most days she couldn't believe that there had been a time, in the beginning, where she had doubted whether or not this was even real at all. Because it _was real._ She felt it coursing through her with all of Regina's loving touches, with Henry's small sounds that were quickly turning into words. Emma did not care to think of where she and Henry would have been had she not magically ended up in the Enchanted Forest, because she knew that she would not have had Henry with her. He would have ended up in the system, and she would have been in jail. Regina would still have been under her mother's thumb, so Emma was pretty certain that this was the best possible way things could have turned out.

Tinkerbell came to visit them again to let them know she had found passage on a magic ship to a far-away destination and that she would not be back for a while. She told them to be careful, kissed Henry goodbye, and it was with a certain worry in Regina's eyes that they waved her off.

It was one day when the snow was finally gone and the flowers had started blossoming that Emma needed to make a trip into town for a lot of supplies. They were really running low after the winter had dragged on, and there was a long list of things that Regina needed her to get for them. She decided to take the carriage to be able to get everything that they needed, and she was just packing down the last of the things that she could exchange – a lot of the clothing that Regina had spent time knitting during the winter, as well as some woodwork that Emma had possibly used magic to help make perfect – for goods.

"Mama," Henry said. He was standing by Regina's hand, not quite able to stand on his own, and he reached for Emma with his spare one, his little fingers wriggling at her.

"Yes baby," Emma cooed, kneeling down in front of him. "Mama will be back soon, yeah? I've gotta get lots of food for us!" She pressed a kiss to his chubby cheek, blowing a small raspberry that made him laugh. "You be a good boy for Mommy, yeah?"

Henry glanced up at Regina. "Mommy!" he eagerly said.

Regina beamed, as always, when it had anything to do with Henry. "Yes! With Mommy," she cooed and brushed his hair back. "Be careful, Emma?" she asked, as Emma came to her feet once more, towering slightly over her.

Emma patted Bug's flank. "I've got my boys, I'll be fine."

"I know," Regina murmured, a soft smile running over her face. "I just always worry if you'll come back to us." She stepped closer, wrapping her free arm around Emma's waist as she nuzzled her head into her neck. "I love you so much, my darling," she whispered.

Pulling back, Emma pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, before she tucked her forehead to Regina's and locked their eyes together. "And I love you," she replied. Then they stood like that, for a moment or two, until Henry's babbling became too loud to ignore.

Regina bent down to scoop him up, sighing softly as his legs wrapped around her middle. "Wave for Mama?" she asked him.

"Yes," Henry eagerly nodded. His brown hair was getting longer, and Regina might have to trim it soon, so the small tufts didn't fall into his eyes.

"Don't worry, Regina," Emma said as she jumped onto the front of the carriage, her long legs moving with familiarity now that she had done this so many times. "I'll be back. And I've got Bug and Rocinante to protect me! No one will dare come near me with those bad boys." She grinned, trying to lighten Regina's mood. No matter how many times she ventured out alone to get supplies, Regina never stopped being worried about what might happen on the way.

Regina rolled her eyes at her. "Don't be an idiot," she snarked. But there was that loving spark in her eyes.

Emma reached down and gave her shoulder a tight squeeze. "Seriously Regina. I've got magic, I'll be fine."

With a sigh, Regina accepted defeat in this dance they had done so many times, and stepped backwards. "I'll see you for supper," she promised.

"And I'll eat it with eagerness," Emma replied, and then she pulled at the reins to get the horses started.

They crossed the clearing quickly, and she stared backwards just before they entered the forest to find Regina and Henry waving at her, watching her go, and as she turned back around, she had that special feeling in her stomach; that content feeling of care and warmth, and so much love for the two people who were waiting for her back in that cottage. Sometimes it became almost too much for her – but in a good way – because she was just so overwhelmed by how much she _loved_ them. It was a strange concept for orphan Emma Swan, but damn did she love them.

Emma had barely crossed the magical barrier and driven into the part of the forest where their safety net was no longer activated when the horses came to a halt; neighing and almost standing on their hind legs – she knew they would have done so, had they not been attached to the small carriage. Emmas squinted her eyes, clicking her tongue to make them calm down, while she tried to figure out what had disturbed them so. She could not make out any immediate danger on the narrow path in the woods, but as as she pushed her glasses further up her nose, she realised that indeed there was something frightening the horses, or rather – someone. There, leaning against at tree in the most dramatic fashion was _Rumpelstiltskin._

Emma had not thought about him for a very long time; but she immediately recalled his last visit to her – right before she had given birth to Henry – and what he had told her about her story. His skin was still as scaly as it had always been, glistening in the spring sun; his hair just as greasy. As Emma leaned forward to pat Bug affectionately, Rumpelstiltskin snapped his fingers, and before Emma knew of it, he was sitting right next to her on the carriage.

"Hello," he giggled.

Emma practically fell out of her seat in surprise. "Shit," she moaned, a hand on her beating chest, "don't do that."

Rumpelstiltskin wriggled his nose, eyeing the horses. "Going on a trip, are we?"

"Just going to get supplies," Emma grumbled, and she carefully set the horses back in motion; both animals more secure now that their path was not disturbed by a powerful being. "You know, we do need food to live."

Kicking back in his seat, Rumpelstiltskin crossed one leg over the other. "I've been looking everywhere for you," he announced, his eyes trained on the road ahead of them, blatantly not meeting Emma's eyes. "I mean, that magic barrier you've put up is quite something. It even managed to deter _me_."

Emma side-eyed him. "As long as it's deterring Cora Mills, then I'm thrilled."

"Thought so," Rumpelstiltskin replied, and then he was quiet for a little while.

Fingers clenched around the reins, Emma was not certain whether or not it was a good idea to just continue her journey towards the village, but she figured; she had to get there today, and she couldn't stall too much if she wanted to make it back home before dusk, so what harm would it be to let him ride with her for a little while. She swallowed loudly. "So uh," she bit her lip, "what are you doing here then?"

Rumpelstiltskin giggled. "Oh, thought you might ask!" He held out his hands, gesturing as he spoke. "As I've told you before, your presence in this forest is of the utmost confusion to me. You," he said, pointing a finger with a sharp nail at her, "are not supposed to be here."

Emma sighed. "Dude, you never said that. You just said I might disappear of whatever." It's not like Emma had thought a lot about it, because Rumpelstiltskin spoke mostly in riddles that she could not make sense of, but of course she'd _thought_ about it, thought what it might mean. Her happiness with Regina was right here now, but according to him that could also make her disappear. Can't blame a girl for worrying about that in the midst of her happy ending.

"Well, I was hoping the storyline might right itself, but it appears as if I'll have to _fix it_ ," he murmured, voice low in his throat, "otherwise who knows where we'll be." He giggled again, his eyes shining.

With a sigh, Emma continued, "Can't you just tell me whatever it is you want me to know?"

Rumpelstiltskin moved closer, his nose almost touching Emma's face as he spoke. "Yes," he whispered, dragging out the 's', "I suppose so."

Emma stared at him, urging him to go on.

He rolled his eyes. "I wasn't sure you were really who I thought you were, but then I felt your magic, and let me tell you, you are the one and only Saviour if your shield can _keep me out_." He motioned towards himself, "R-r-r-r-rumpelstiltskin."

"What was your name again," Emma sarcastically murmured, quickly losing her patience with this guy.

Rumpelstiltskin laughed. "I see, I see, feisty, just like your mother."

Throat bobbing, Emma glanced at him, one eye still on the road. She was not going to take the bait, she was _not._ "My mother?"

"Yes," Rumpelstiltskin nodded. "You will meet her in due time. Unless of course, you don't listen to what I have to say."

With a quick glance towards the midday sun, Emma made a rash decision. Instead of driving and talking and getting absolutely nowhere, Emma needed to know exactly what he wanted from her. She pulled the carriage to a stop on the side of the road and turned to look at him fully, knee bent on the seat. "Spit it out, dude."

Rumpelstiltskin arched an eyebrow. "Well yes," he said, and then he reached into his front pocket and pulled out a small, almost see-through, glittery… bean?

Emma eyed it with scepticism.

"You, Emma Swan, are from the Land Without Magic, but you were not born there," he said, his words finally dragging Emma's eyes away from the object in his hand. "You were born here, and sent there in a magic wardrobe. Which is why you have magic. Powerful magic at that." He paused, letting the words sink in. "But you ended up here by mistake. This is not your timeline, you are not supposed to be here, and you can mess up even your own _birth_ if you are not careful."

"My own… birth?" Emma furrowed her brow, finally staring straight at him and really listening. Something was telling her that he was not trying to mess with her right now; something told her that he was being sincere, no matter what he might get out of it or not.

"This is the past," Rumpelstiltskin said, "you're from the future. Your mother is but a child in this realm." He rolled the bean in his hand, a long nail trailing on the smooth surface. "You are _not_ supposed to be here, Miss Swan. If Regina does not become Queen, you will not be born. _Henry_ will not be born. And we need Henry to be born, do you understand?"

Emma stared him. "No, actually… I don't think I do." She sighed. This was so far out of her comprehension, she wasn't even sure how he wanted her to react. "So… what do you want me to do?"

Rumpelstiltskin held the bean towards her face, placed daintily between his thumb and pointer finger. "Leave. Go back to the Land Without Magic with this magic bean."

"And take Regina and Henry, right?" Emma said as she tentatively took the bean out of his hand and stared at it. She wasn't even going to ask what a magic bean was, because she was pretty sure that he was going to tell her anyway.

Giggling madly, Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "Only the child. Not the woman," he said.

Emma gaped at him. "But I can't leave Regina! She's-"

"She's supposed to be Queen," he interrupted her. His eyes practically shot lightenings, and his skin glistened dangerously. "If she is not Queen, you will not be born, do you not understand what I'm telling you, Miss Swan?"

Licking her lip, Emma said. "So I will… disappear? If I don't leave Regina?"

Rumpelstiltskin nodded. "Oh yes, Miss Swan. Which is why you _must_ break her heart and send her on the path towards darkness."

Emma _believed_ him. There was something so desperate in his eyes, his stance, that she could do nothing but. She just didn't understand it, but there were many things she did not understand about the Enchanted Forest, even after spending a year in it. "But I don't want to lose her," she murmured, her voice cracking slightly.

"You shall find her again," Rumpelstiltskin promised. "On her 28th birthday, the Saviour is meant to break the Curse, and thus you shall see again. You shall get your Happily Ever After."

"So Regina will too?" Emma murmured. Her heart was beating madly in her chest, and she wanted to throw this magic bean away from herself, to never look at it again, but something made her pocket it instead; tuck it carefully into the small pouch she carried around her neck with coppers and silvers in it. Something inside of her believed what Rumpelstiltskin was saying, even if she had been warned many times by Regina to never trust the Dark One. Emma wasn't sure what it was; perhaps it was because she knew – as she had always known since she got here – that she had ended up somewhere safe, yes, but somewhere she was not supposed to be. She had believed so strongly, wished for it with all of her heart, that she could be somewhere she would feel safe, and her magic had provided her with that – although messing things up in the meantime.

Something told her that this was the right way to go about it, and if doing this made sure that she would find Regina in just nine years time, then she would do it. Nine years was a small price to pay for having the rest of forever together. Especially if the other option was never finding each other at all.

"Yes," Rumpelstiltskin assured her, and a flicker of something akin to fondness ran over his face. "But Regina can know nothing about this, do you understand, Miss Swan?" he added, staring intensely at her, "If she knows, she has hope, and if she has hope, then the things that have been foreseen to happen will not happen."

Emma gulped. "Yeah." She didn't like it, but she could kind of understand it.

Rumpelstiltskin appeared pleased. "Cora is coming for you," he said at last, his voice going shriller, and amusement flicking across his face at Emma's surprised squeak. "Use what time you have left wisely, for soon she will come. And when she does-" he motioned towards the pouch around her neck, "-you need throw this to the ground and jump in with your son. Think of where you want to be, and you shall get there."

A hand came to find the pouch, steadily coming to rest on it upon her chest. She needed to feel it there, to remember that it was what she needed. "S-sure," Emma stammered. Sure, she could do that, but it didn't mean that she wasn't confused. And it didn't mean that she didn't hate having to hide _anything_ from Regina at all.

"Very well," Rumpelstiltskin giggled, raising his hand to wave at her. "I shall see you in forty years time." He paused, a small furrow between his eyes. "Or for you, I guess, it will only be _nine._ " He giggled again, his laughter ringing clearly through the forest, and before Emma knew what had happened, the spot next to her on the carriage was empty.

—-

It was only a few weeks later that they made their way out of their safe bubble in search of food to hunt and fruit to pick. Emma was always nervous whenever they had to enter into the outside as a family – she could handle her own quick trips, her ventures to the village – but this time she was more nervous than she had been in that last six months or so. It was something that needed to be done however; and they did it once in a while whenever they needed to stock up on things that could be found in the wild. Regina enjoyed the trips outside as a family, and Henry got to experience something else for a change.

Emma had not told Regina about her meeting with Rumpelstiltskin and the bean she carried around her neck. She had been very unsure about whether she should disclose the information to her, but Rumpelstiltskin's warning roamed around inside her head, and she just didn't dare. Instead, she kept her thoughts on a striking Cora to herself and decided to try and have a nice day with her family. She was on edge, of course, her magic looming right beneath the surface of her skin if she needed to access it.

The day was beautiful though; it was warm and slightly windy, and both Emma and Regina were down to their trousers and a short-sleeved undershirt, and the sweat was trailing down Emma's temples as they made a stop beneath the shade of a tree. It was blooming beautifully with some kind of fruit that Emma was not familiar with. Regina seemed happy though, she'd set a few traps along the way that they were going to check on their way back, and she had brought her bow and arrow – that she was still learning how to use – to see if she could attempt to catch something bigger. Mostly, they'd been successful with their traps in the past, and it gave them some meat to cook above their fire.

"Let's eat our lunch here," Regina announced, and Emma was not about to disagree on that, because she was _starving._ "We can pick some umias later," she added, glancing wistfully up at the deep purple fruits above them.

Emma dropped the basket of fruits and berries she had collected to the ground and took a seat. "Umias?" she questioned as Regina picked Henry out of the sling and placed him on his stomach on the ground next to her. Emma rubbed his back and made a face at him.

Regina hummed. "The fruits. Have you never heard of them before?"

"We don't have those in the Land Without Magic," Emma replied, just as she often did. The more she learned in the Enchanted Forest, the more she continued to surprise Regina with how few things they had actually had in the Land Without Magic. "What do they taste like?"

"Sweet," Regina murmured and turned her head towards the sun. She then turned towards Rocinante – they had let Bug stay at home today, since the only need for a horse was to carry their food – and ridded him of his satchels to give him some room to breathe. "I think you and Henry can stay here for a bit while I go out to test my bow and arrow on Rocinante. I think I might be able to get a deer. I mean, I did the last time."

Emma was not going to tell Regina that she had used a bit of magic to sway the arrow last time they went out hunting. Regina had been so frustrated that she was not able to hit anything – and don't get Emma wrong; Regina's frustrated, thinking face was one of the most adorable things she had ever seen – that Emma had wanted her to experience a bit of success. It had taken nothing but a small gust of wind, and the arrow had hit the deer perfectly.

Regina had been proud for _week_ s.

But if she left Emma and Henry behind to hunt deer by herself, Emma was not going to be able to help her. She'd just have to have faith that Regina would be able to take down something on her own.

"Sounds okay to me," Emma shrugged as she unpacked the small sandwiches that Regina had made for them. She happily bit into one; it was some kind of paste made of squirrel and red bell peppers, and it was one of those things that Regina just did _so well._ "Henry can squirm around and I can climb the trees. We'll get those umamis for you."

Regina stared at her, fond. "Umias," she corrected.

"Potato, pot _a_ to," Emma waved her off. She was grinning though, having already eaten an entire sandwich. She quickly reached forward to grab a second. "Thes' a' ver' goo'," she mumbled.

Coming down to sit next to her, Regina stretched out her legs and reached for one of the pears they had plucked earlier. "I love you so much," she told Emma then, her cheeks tinted slightly pink, her eyes warm, before she bit into the fruit and stared up at the sky again.

"Mamma!" Henry demanded from his place on the ground. He had managed to crawl a bit away from them, and Emma reached forward to gently tuck him closer once more.

Emma took a pear as well and reached into her belt to find her pocket knife. She sliced small slices for him and helped him sit up against her leg, so he could play with them and eat a bit. His small chubby fingers immediately sought out the food (he was his mother's child after all) and he munched away, soaking the fruit with his drool. Emma wiped his hair back. "Munchkin," she fondly said.

Regina chuckled. "It's a shame," she said, eyeing him.

"What is?" Emma questioned.

"That we won't be able to make more of those," Regina replied. She reached for a sandwich, entirely oblivious to the way that Emma had just paused to stare at her. She managed to take an entire bite, chew it and swallow, before she realised that Emma was still staring at her. "What, darling?"

Emma gulped. "More… kids?"

Laughing, Regina said, "Yes! Of course."

"Is that something… you'd want?" Emma breathed. She'd never really thought much about kids at all actually; had never really pictured herself in a future where kids would be, considering she, herself, had had such a shitty childhood. Henry just sort of came to… be. And now she wouldn't change that for anything, because God, he was her _son,_ but more kids? She hadn't really considered it.

"But of course, Emma," Regina said, now taking a bite of her pear to alternate between the sandwich. "Don't you? I always imagined having _lots_ of kids. Whenever I dared dream of something other than being Queen, I thought it'd be nice to have many kids running around the place."

Emma took another sandwich, nibbling at the crust as she stared down at Henry. Sure, he was a handful, but… He was also _so incredible._ The love he gave the both of them was indescribable. And Regina was so good with him, and she continued to be even better day after day. "I guess it wouldn't be too bad," she said, brow furrowed deeply between her eyes. "But I guess… Since we both have vaginas-" she winced at the word, and Regina chuckled throatily, "-it's not really possible."

Regina hummed, thoughtful for a second. "I mean, it _is_ possible," she said, dusting off her trousers with her spare hand. "I've read some about it… lately."

"It is?" Emma gaped. Suddenly, her chest felt very hot.

"Yes," Regina sighed. "But I don't think for us. It requires magic, a lot of it, and it also requires True Love. I think-" she licked her lips, "-even if we were to find out that we were True Loves, which is, my gosh, so rare, we'd never be able to, because only _you_ have magic." She didn't quite want to meet Emma's eyes as she said this. "But perhaps we can take in a street kid at some point, if we're so inclined."

Emma's chest suddenly felt restricted, like something that she didn't even know she wanted had been taken away from her, and she smiled softly at Regina, her lips curling upwards with affection. "I'm sorry, darling," she said.

"It's not your fault," Regina brushed her off. And then she pulled herself off the ground and took her bow and arrow. "But I'll go look for that food now. Be careful when you climb the tree." She leaned down to press a lingering kiss on Emma's lips, before kissing Henry on the forehead.

Emma stuck her tongue out at her. "Be careful yourself," she teased, but she watched intensely as Regina mounted Rocinante and took off through the forest.

She relaxed for a little while longer, playing with Henry and letting him fly in her arms as he giggled loudly, before she eventually sat him down on the ground – they'd brought his knitted teddy, and he could entertain himself with that – and started climbing the tree. She filled the sling around her torso with fruits once she got high enough up, gathering plenty before she relaxed against the trunk, looking down on Henry. He was babbling to his teddy, sometimes giggling loudly, and Emma watched him for a second, able to look far and wide from her position in the top. She was just casting a glance around them when she realised that a horse – white as newly fallen snow and with a black mane and tail – was running wildly through the forest at high speed.

Emma quickly scampered off the tree, taking the branches easily, until she landed on the ground next to Henry. She scooped him into her arms, and not many moments later, the horse ran quickly past them, through the clearing, and into the woods again. Henry started crying loudly, tears spilling out of his eyes at the shock.

Soothing him, Emma bopped up and down. "There, there, baby," she shushed him. She kissed his wet cheeks, squeezing him tightly. "No worries, Henry, it was just a little horsie, yeah? Out for a midday run."

It took a only a few more minutes until Henry had calmed down again, only hiccupping slightly as she soothed him. She kept him on her side as she emptied the umias into their fruit basket, and then split one into two that she shared with him. Regina was right, they were very sweet, and they painted most of Henry's face purple as he ate.

Emma looked up as she heard voices making their way through the forest towards them. At first, she was on her way to scattering to hide between the trees, but then she recognised Regina's soothing words meshing with the slightly shrill voice of what could only be a child. Emma frowned. What was Regina doing with someone else? Clutching Henry closer to her side, Emma stared through the clearing at the first line of trees. It took only a moment, but then she could see two figures and a horse coming closer.

Regina was holding onto Rocinante's reins, steering him slightly as she spoke with a bent had to a young girl with hair as black as coal, dressed all in white. Emma relaxed slightly as Regina stared up from her conversation to shoot her a reassuring smile.

"Hi darling," Regina greeted, letting go of Rocinante and placing a comfortable hand around the girl's shoulder. "Everything good here?"

Emma eyed the young girl who stared up at her with wide doe eyes, an eerily familiar colour not unlike her own. "Yeah," she said, trailing slightly off as she shifted on her feet. "Was that your horse?" she continued, directed at the girl.

"Yes," she said, her chin jutting outwards. "Hi, I'm Princess Snow White."

Head turned to Regina, Emma felt her own eyes turn wide. _This_ was Princess Snow White? The heir to the entirety of the Enchanted Forest? The little princess that Emma had heard _so much_ about? She licked her lips. "Emma," she murmured, then tilted her head, "What happened?"

Snow nodded her head, eager. "Oh Gosh, you will not believe it! The horse just took off running and I couldn't stop it. Something clearly spooked it, but thankfully Regina was here to help me, otherwise I am certain I would have _died_." She glanced up at Regina, a complete look of awe written across her face as she did so.

Regina squeezed her shoulder. "Pay no mind to that. You're very welcome, Princess Snow." She smiled at Emma then, her face bright and warm, and with a nice, rosy colour in her cheek. She looked unbothered, free, but Emma had an odd feeling churning in her stomach. "I thought I would take Snow to find her guards. They should be around here somewhere. We should make sure that she gets home safe."

Emma took a step back, her throat bopping. "Yeah," she murmured, hoisting Henry further up on her hip to get a better grip on him. "I bet."

"So you should just take Henry and our supplies, and I'l return home later," Regina finished. It suited her, to have a task to do, to have done something nice for someone else, and Emma knew her girlfriend well enough to realise that there was no talking Regina out of this one. She was going to walk Snow White back to the White Castle all by herself if need be, so letting her guide her to her guards was the best Emma was going to get. Regina wasn't going to be away from her for too long while doing that.

"Alright, sweetheart," Emma mumbled, and she had an urge to step forward to kiss Regina's lips, but something made her aim for the cheek instead. Perhaps it was Snow White's curious, inquisitive gaze, so Emma just lingered there, before stepping backwards. "Off you two, so you'll be back before nightfall."

Regina's hand guided Snow White towards the other side of the clearing, and as Emma watched them go, the bustle of the forest was accompanied by Snow White's many thoughts. "You have such beautiful, long hair, Regina! Your lips are so red. Your skin is not as pale as mine. Gosh, you're so _beautiful_."

Emma bit her lip and moved to pack up. That uncomfortable churning in her stomach did not go away.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

A/N: Sorry that I didn't update last week; a lot has been happening in my life. There's not much left of this story now, so hopefully I will be able to finish it within a few weeks. I also apologise for the poor quality of this chapter. As I said, a lot has been happening in my life.

A trigger warning for this chapter: Cora returns and along with her the abusive behaviour. Also, King White is in this chapter.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**

Regina woke up from her slumber to a stray of blonde hair tickling her nose. She scrunched it, reaching her hand from the mattress to brush the hair away, only to let it fall around Emma's waist to tuck her closer. Emma hummed, clearly half asleep, and Regina grinned to herself, pressing her lips to the valley between Emma's shoulder blades.

Sighing softly, Emma scooted even further backwards, nestling herself closer to Regina's front. She was warm, their shared blanket almost warming them too much now that it had grown hotter outside, and Emma had taken to sleeping merely in her nightgown and nothing else. Regina's hand trailed over Emma's stomach, rucking up the fabric in a teasing manner.

"What time is it," Emma breathed, just as Regina's fingers started running softly over the top of her thighs.

"It's still early," Regina murmured, now leaning slightly upwards to trail gentle kisses across Emma's neck. "Henry will sleep a while yet."

That seemed to be just what Emma wanted to hear, because she reached for Regina's hand and tucked it towards her underpants. She turned slightly over, Regina's body hovering over hers, and Regina thought she looked so pretty with her hair all over the pillow, sleep crusting in the corners of her eyes, and that soft and happy smile on her face. Emma reached upwards, pulling their faces together in a lazy kiss.

They kissed for a while, their tongues moving slowly, as Regina's hands travelled over Emma's body, grazing and lingering, touching her girlfriend in all the places she knew that Emma liked to be touched. They had not kissed long before Emma's nightgown was somehow rucked up around her torso, and Regina's mouth was trailing over stiff nipples, enveloping them in wet heat. Emma whined softly, and Regina grinned, pulling down her undergarments, much to Emma's vocal relief.

She made love to her girlfriend like that, crouched between her legs and with Emma's hands in her hair. She used her fingers and her mouth, savouring Emma's tangy taste on her tongue as she urged her girlfriend towards orgasm. Emma came quickly, almost silently as to not wake Henry, and when she had recovered with a heaving chest, she turned them over and used her fingers to let Regina ride herself to a climax.

Once they were cuddled together on the bed afterwards, very much needing to get up soon to get their day started, they heard Henry rustle in his small alcove in the other end of the room, and Emma left the bed to go fetch him, while Regina watched her girlfriend from her spot on the mattress; pulling down her gown to cover her butt, Emma padded on bare feet to open the door to let the fresh morning air into their small home, before she turned to gather Henry from his bed, cradling him softly in her arms.

Most days, Regina could still not believe that this was her life; she actually got to wake up each morning in her girlfriend's arms. She could make love to her quietly, before their son awoke, and then they could share a slow-paced morning before they had to get started on the day's events. She _loved_ it, loved every second of it. She loved Emma and Henry so much it hurt sometimes, and the thought that this might not have been possible – even the mere _thought_ of it – hurt so much. Theirs was the family she had always longed for, and Regina could not begin to imagine what it would feel like if she ever were to lose them.

"Baby, you're staring," Emma hummed as she turned around to look at her with Henry nestled on her hip.

Regina cleared her throat, her heart beating steadily inside her chest. "Yes, I-" she paused, blinking. "I just love you so much," she replied. She could hear the emotion in her voice, and she cleared her throat once more.

Emma chuckled. "And I love you," she replied, as easily as she took in her next breath. She turned towards the door, the sun shining through, and she glanced back at Regina. "Breakfast outside?"

"Yes, darling," Regina whispered. She fumbled her way out of bed, smoothing down her nightgown and stepping into a pair of trousers. "Let me get everything prepared."

She made a quick breakfast for them out of bread, cheese and dried meat, while heating some water for them to have tea. As she did that, Emma fussed with Henry and got him changed for the day; they had a mindless conversation, Henry's words mixed with Emma's coos as she chatted away with their son. Once she had prepared the small breakfast, they sat down outside on the stoop, Henry crawling around on the ground among the chickens that Emma had let out to scour the ground for food. Regina rested between Emma's legs, squinting her eyes against the morning sun, and life was just – life was just _good._ The bread was a bit stale, the tea hot in the sun, but it was _their_ life, and no fine feast with abundance of food would ever be able to compare to the three of them, outside their cottage, together in the sun.

"I was thinking of working on the chicken shed today," Emma said then, finishing off another piece of cheese. "Get it working properly, fix those holes."

"And I was planning on weeding out the vegetable garden," Regina replied, gazing up at her. Emma's fingers were playing with her hair, and it felt wonderful. "Henry will be probably entertained if he joins me."

Emma grinned. "Yes, you do like to chatter away as you work. He loves your stories."

Regina chuckled. "He is a very generous audience though. He never complains!"

Laughing, Emma gave Regina a slight push to get her onto her legs, and she followed right after, pushing herself off the ground with a slight grunt. She dusted off her hands, crumbs hitting the ground – much to the later delight of the chickens, Regina would assume – before she stretched her arms and blinked against the sun. "I adore you," she murmured, total amazement gracing her features as she paused in mid-stretch.

"And I adore you as well," Regina replied softly, stretching on her tip-toes to graze her lips over Emma's cheek.

The sound of their protective shield being breached was heard clearly in the mid-morning forest, and Regina froze, her eyes immediately meeting Emma's. It was not odd for the warning to go off, it happened occasionally with animals, but it never stopped surprising them.

Emma reached down to grab Henry, a simple reflex so they were ready if need be, and Regina stepped in front of them, breath caught in her throat when she heard the unmistakable sounds of people weeding through the underbrush. And there were voices, too, a low murmur of chatter. This was not just an animal, and Regina felt herself go pale. "Get ready to run," she hissed through gritted teeth, and Emma stepped quickly into the cottage with Henry on her hip, and as Regina waited for the trespassers to show themselves, she could hear Emma rustle with her belongings.

Regina wasn't sure what she had expected – but Princess Snow skipping towards her was definitely _not_ it. "Regina!" the young girl greeted, her long dark hair trailing behind her as she ran towards Regina's arms. "We've searched for you for _ages_ ," she added, arms wrapping around Regina's middle in a tight hug.

"Snow White," Regina replied, completely surprised, because she had not imagined ever meeting the Princess again.

"Why do you have magic around your home?" Snow asked, innocently blinking up at her as she pulled out of her embrace.

"Yes, darling, why _do_ you have magic around your home?"

Regina froze, her throat suddenly dry at the sound of her mother's voice. A voice she had not heard in about a year; a voice she would have been happy to never hear again in her life. Yet there her mother was, standing a few feet behind Snow, right next to the-

"King White," Regina quickly breathed, stepping backwards to curtsey at the King.

She could hear Emma drop something inside the cottage, and soon after, she felt her presence behind her in the open door.

The King smiled fondly at her. He was older, older than Regina remembered him to be, and his greying hair and protruding belly did not make for a very intimidating persona. She knew, however, that he ruled the Kingdom with an iron fist. "Regina," he said, bending his head in greeting, "I have come to thank you for saving my dear Snow's life."

"Oh." Regina glanced down at the smiling child next to her. She had not thought that such an ordinary action of kindness would warrant a visit from the King. "It was nothing. It was merely a run-away horse."

"Still," the King said, "we have searched wide and far for you to extend our gratitude. Dear Snow so wanted to see you again. She took such a shine to you." He chuckled slightly at his daughter's eager nodding. "Eventually we located your mother who could inform us of your whereabouts."

Regina's jaw clenched, and she eyed her mother. "Oh, could she?" she lightly questioned, but it was not something to be taken lightly at all. Her mother had _known_ where they were. Probably for a while. She'd been sitting on the information, and the only reason she had not paid them a visit – at least as far as Regina could imagine – was because she'd been waiting for the right moment to strike.

Apparently that moment was now?

"Yes, Regina," Cora sweetly said. "Imagine my surprise when the King told me how you saved sweet Princess Snow. I simply had to join him on this trip to thank you."

"Thank you, Regina!" Snow eagerly said, before she skipping across the space to stand between the two of them.

Regina felt Emma's comforting hand on her lower back. "You're welcome, Snow."

Snow's face lit up, and she pointed eagerly to the flock of hens frolicking near their shed. "Oh, Daddy, look!" she said, "There are chickens."

"We also have a goat," Regina quickly added, pointing towards the line of trees where their goat was mulling about.

The King chuckled. "Let's take a look, my darling," he said, and he turned toward the chickens with Snow's hand safely inside his own.

Once out of earshot, Regina stepped towards her mother, her jaw clenched, and with fisted palms. Emma was right on her tail with Henry on her hip, and Cora looked unsurprised at the hostile approached. " _You,"_ Regina hissed, "you scared Snow's horse, didn't you? You _planned_ this."

Cora was a look of pure innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Regina. I'm just surprised to hear how you helped the King."

Anger burned behind her eyelids, and it was only Henry's presence that calmed her enough to not lash out physically at her deceiving mother. She was certain that Cora had planned this for a while, awaiting the perfect opportunity, and Regina was not going to let her swing this so easily. "It's not going to work," she sternly said. "I'll not come back with you."

Stepping forwards so their noses were basically aligned, Cora said, "I'll have your _darling_ stable girl and her spawn imprisoned," she said, shooting a filthy look towards Emma and Henry, "if you don't join that man for a walk and listen to what he has to say, Regina. Do you understand?"

Emma gasped. "You can't just-"

"I can, Miss Swan," Cora added, and there was not a doubt in Regina's mind that she would, "Just watch me."

Regina stepped backwards, a hand coming to rest comfortably on Emma's upper arm. "I'll listen to him," she whispered into Emma's neck, only audible for them. "I'll go with him and listen. Who knows what he wants."

Emma's jaw worked beneath her skin. "I don't like this."

Snow returned at that; a fresh egg perched in her hand. "Look at this," she happily told Regina, her green eyes shining. The Princess was beautiful, Regina had to admit, but she was afraid that she was going to grow up into a brat if her father kept on spoiling her. "Do you really live here?"

Cora crossed the small clearing to go talk to the King, and Regina eyed her out of the corner of her eye as she nodded at Snow. "We do, Snow. We have for a while now."

Scrunching up her nose, Snow said, "But you'll have a much bigger home when you marry my father. He'll give you a wardrobe twice as big as this cottage."

" _What_ -?" Emma hissed, just as Regina said, "When I marry your father?"

With big doe eyes, Snow blinked at both of them. "But of course! My father has come to ask you for your hand in marriage." She smiled, like that was the best thing that had ever happened to Regina. "I told him all about the girl who saved me, and he _so_ wanted to marry you after that. Isn't it great?"

Emma's body was stiff next to Regina's, and Regina gulped as she kneeled down in front of Snow, to be more on eye-level with the young girl. "But Snow," she said, grasping her hand tightly, "I cannot marry your father, because I am to marry someone else."

"You are?" Snow breathed. "But your mother said you'd be happy to be my new step-mom!"

Regina motioned towards Emma. "I am to marry Emma. We have a son together. A life here," she explained.

Snow looked absolutely perplexed at the mere idea that Regina could _not_ marry her father, and she stepped backwards. "Oh," she murmured. "Are you in love?"

"Very much so," Regina kindly informed her, and the two of them shared a sort of understanding, as Snow nodded her head. Regina really hoped that she was making sense to the girl. Of course it could be hard to understand for her why someone would not want a life in riches with her father, the King, but Regina was not interested in that. She was more than happy with her life in the cottage with Emma and Henry, and she so hoped that Snow would understand it.

"Alright," the young Princess replied, before she turned around on her heel and rushed back to her father. "Daddy! Daddy!" she practically yelled. "Regina is to marry someone else!"

Cora immediately froze, her back straight, and the King turned towards Regina with a befuddled look upon his face. He walked back to them – Snow eagerly dragging his hand – and said, "Oh, but then you _must_ break that engagement and come to the Castle to be my new wife," he said, as if that was no question at all, as if Regina should not even think twice about it. "I'm sure that whatever man you are to marry will be no match for a King."

Regina was certain that whoever she was to marry – had it not even been Emma but someone else, too – would always be infinitely better than the King. "But-" she begun to object, yet she did not get far.

Cora cut her off. She placed an iron grip around Regina's upper arm and pulled her away from Emma. "Let's go for a walk," she sternly said, and there was no room for arguments in her voice. "The four of us."

And so, Regina was dragged off for a walk in the forest with the King, Princes Snow and her mother. She felt the familiar magic – something she had experienced so many times during her childhood – wrap around her and force her to follow orders; leaving no room for her to object in any way. She knew Emma could have probably battled her mother's magic if she wanted to, but she was glad that Emma was smart enough not to try at the moment, to let this walk happen. If the King caught wind of a powerful sorceress there was no telling what he'd do, so it was better to play it safe for now.

She twisted her head though, as they disappeared between the first line of trees, and she saw Emma stand there with Henry on her hip; looking so utterly lost and alone in front of their cottage, and with that heartbroken look in her eyes. There was something there, something that Regina could not read, and it was unsettling. It almost felt like goodbye, although Regina knew she would be back in a little while.

What happened once she returned, however, was another matter entirely.

Snow's hand found the way into hers, and the young girl was thus squeezed between her father, the King, and Regina herself. She appeared happy to be there, clenching Regina's hand. Regina wanted to drop the warm, smaller hand from her grip; she suddenly felt queasy at the thought of the young girl, and even the thought of not saving her from the horse ran through her mind.

"So, Regina, will you accompany my daughter and I back to the Castle?" the King wished to know.

Regina felt her throat bob as she swallowed loudly. She had to find a way out of this – and quickly – she just wasn't sure how. "I'm sorry, but," she stopped herself. She needed to be careful about how she continued to word this. "I'll have to decline you, Sir. As Princess Snow just told you, I am to wed someone else."

Cora brushed her off, before the King could even reply. "Nonsense, Regina." She tsk-tsk'ed for the benefit of the King, but Regina could hear the fair warning in her tone. "Of course you will join King Leopold at his Castle. I am sure we can all agree that if a King wants you as his wife, you should not marry some poor peasant."

The King and her laughed together; the King's round belly moving behind his tunic, and Snow looked on, a small smile appearing on her face, too. Her eyes shone as she looked to Regina, eager to see her reaction as well.

"That's settled then," the King said as they came to a stop. He dropped Snow's hand and moved over, standing tall in front of Regina as he dug into some inner pocket to procure a glistening silver band. "Will you marry me, Regina?" he questioned her, and it was clear that he was not waiting for an answer from her. Sure of himself, he was already slipping the ring onto her finger.

While Regina struggled to get the word 'no' across her quivering lips, Cora was not so nervous. A clear and sound, " _Yes!_ " escaped her lips, and the King chuckled as the ring slipped easily into position on Regina's ring finger.

Snow beamed happily, dropping Regina's hand to clap hers together. "You'll be my new mom!" she eagerly said.

"And I will be your adoring Grandmother," Cora sweetly whispered as she brushed Snow's hair back.

King placed a hand on his belly, chuckling once more. "Well, that's settled then. Snow and I will return to our Castle, and I will see you soon, Regina, to present you to the people."

Regina gaped. She was not sure what to do, and her mother's magic had such a firm grip on her that she could do nothing but meekly nod her head. Snow wrapped her arms around her for a brief hug, before she returned to her father's side, and they, together, walked backwards to where they came from. They, no doubt, had a carriage waiting for them in the nearest clearing, and it would take them safely back to their beloved Castle.

A trip that Regina would soon have to make as well, by the looks of it. No. _No,_ she'd have to find a way out of this!

The second they were out of sight, Cora's magic loosened, and Regina could feel herself breathe properly again. She gasped, breath erratic, and then she glared at her mother with an aching chest.

"Mother," she husked. "I won't do it!" and then she turned on her heel and started back towards the cottage. She almost ran, easily weaving through the forest floor in pants she would never get to wear again if she married the King.

Cora was right behind her, however, her magic easily carrying her safely after her daughter. "Regina," she begged, "don't be insipid."

Regina ignored her, eager to get back to Emma and Henry. Together, they'd be able to ward Cora off. They could pack a few backs in their carriage and get away from there. They could ride for days, if need be. Until they got to Maldovia or DunBroch or some other kingdom. She could even get used to the cold if it meant being safe in Arendelle. Anywhere that was not the Enchanted Forest, so she could get away from Mother and the King. She longed to wrap her arms around Emma, to smell Henry's brown hair. She needed her _family._

She came to a stop once she returned to the clearing. There was an eerie silence around the cottage and the sense of magic lingered in the air, so thick Regina could almost touch it. Windows and doors were wide open, the chickens scattered on the grounds as if they had been scared away. She could not feel Emma or Henry's presence, but she rushed to the door anyway, poking her head into their little home.

"No," she murmured as she glanced around; taking in the overturned furniture, the way all of their belongings had been ransacked. "No, no, no, no!" She ran outside to face her mother once more. Her heart was beating rapidly, a sense of dread falling over her as she grabbed for her mother's arm. "What did you do?!" she demanded to know as she shook her, "What did you do to them!?"

Cora looked surprised for a moment, probably because Regina had never been so forceful with her before, but oh boy, how things had changed. Next, she smirked, her dark eyes glistening dangerously, and her lips thinning into a fine line. "The guards," she cooly said, "they took them back to the Castle. They are to be executed."

Panic shot through Regina rapidly and she stepped back, shaking her head. "No! No," she said, "you're lying."

"I am not."

"The King's guards would never do that, you're lying!" Regina continued. Wet, hot tears streamed down her cheeks, and she was finding it harder and harder to breathe. Henry and Emma were _not_ captured, they couldn't be. They had simply escaped and run off to save themselves, there was no other way. She felt her body shake.

Cora chuckled dryly. "Oh, dear daughter. The King's guards will do anything as long as you show them your magic and a fine reward." She narrowed her eyes in on Regina, stepping closer, right into her personal space. "I had to make sure that the stable girl and her equally filthy spawn was gone, so there was no reason for you to deny the King's wishes." She reached a hand up, gently cupping Regina's cheek while Regina trembled against her. "As if you would even be able to resist my magic."

"Mother," Regina chocked out, her throat constricting, her air disappearing. It felt like she was going to throw up. "Please, don't- please just _let them live._ "

Tutting, Cora ran her thumb over Regina's lower lip. "I don't think so."

" _Please_ ," Regina begged with a quiver. "I'll- I'll be good. I _promise_."

Cora drew back, eyes darkening. "I'll have to execute them, Regina. Otherwise you might get ideas and disappear on me again." She shook her head to herself. "We can't have that, now can we? You're a betrothed woman now."

Regina cried, her sobs echoing through the small clearing as she fell to her knees in front of her mother. She cried for herself and the life she was going to face, she cried for a future she had never quite been able to escape, but mostly she cried for Emma and Henry, her True Love and their son, who were going to lose their lives; executed through Cora's mindless battle for power. She cried because it was her fault that Henry would never grow older, and that Emma would not get married and experience more love. She cried, because soon she'd have to choke back her sobs or her mother would punish her once more.

"There, there," Cora sweetly said, patting her head in a degrading manner. "Get it all out now, Regina. I told you, you were going to be Queen one day, didn't I?"

Her world fell into shambles around her, and Regina just realised that Tinkerbell had been right when she said that Regina couldn't get her happy ending just quite yet. Right now, it felt like she'd never be able to get it at all.

* * *

A/N: And so the story continues in the same way it did on the show; the way we are all familiar with. The only question left to be answered is: What does this mean for the Curse?


	22. Epilogue

A/N: Finally, after for-fucking-ever, here is the epilogue of My Safest Place. Sorry about the delay, real life has been demanding.

* * *

 **EPILOGUE**

The sound of the alarm awoke Emma Swan from her less than peaceful slumber; the loud beeps from her cell phone pulled her out of a fretful dream about witches, kings and magic, and Emma groaned as she moved over to turn it off, blinking blearily against the morning sun streaming in through the curtainless windows.

She stilled, pausing for a moment as she came to it. Henry's low snores could be heard from the mattress next to her, and she felt her stomach do a flip as she realised what day it was.

It was her _28_ _th_ _birthday!_

Emma sat up in bed, quickly pushing her hair out of her eyes as she took in the almost bare apartment around her. Their things were either packed or sold, everything ready and prepared for this exact morning; a morning they had been counting down for – together – since Henry was big enough to understand.

She reached out to shake her sleeping son, grabbing his leg and squeezing it lightly as she shook him awake. "Hen, Hen, c'mon, time to get up," Emma urged him in a murmur, and when she heard him moan something beneath his breath, she knew he was waking up, and so she rolled out of the bed and grabbed her jeans from her open bag – the last one that was not yet packed for their trip.

It was only 06:30 AM, but the sun was shining down on them, as if it knew exactly what day it was.

Emma buttoned her jeans and moved to their bare kitchen; she heated water for cocoa and coffee, and quickly whipped together a breakfast of the last items remaining in the fridge; eggs, bacon, bread with butter and jam. Excitement bubbled inside of her, so much that she was almost dizzy with it; nerves combined with years of yearning and hopeful longing. It had been tough for the first seven years, but the last one year? It had been absolutely painful. For Henry and her both.

Her son padded across the floor, dressed in his jeans and a patterned shirt, especially chosen for this exact occasion. She thought he looked handsome, although his shirt was crumbled, his hair dishevelled. "Are you ready, Ma?" he asked her, as he pulled his backpack across the counter, then unzipping it.

Emma took a sip of her coffee and placed a piping hot cocoa in front of him. "Yeah, you bet I am," she replied, although it felt like the words were getting stuck in her throat. "It's finally now, yeah?"

"Yeah," Henry replied as he pulled out the worn and faded parchment from his backpack. "Oh, and happy birthday, Ma."

Emma grinned. "Thanks, Kid," she said as she stuck a piece of bread into her mouth and pushed Henry's plate across the counter. "Eat up. We could have a long drive ahead of us."

Henry nodded dutifully and forked a mouthful of eggs and bacon into his mouth. He munched away, unfolding the parchment on the counter. "Can't believe it's finally happening," he said, as he carefully stroked a finger across the picture painted there. "We're gonna find you today, Mom. I promise."

Stopping behind him, Emma squeezed his shoulder and stared down at the painting, too. "She's gonna be so happy, Kid. You don't understand how much she loved you."

Henry stared up at her, green eyes shining. "Do you think she'll look much different?"

Emma shrugged, her eyes trailing over the painting; their smiling faces, the three of them captured together by some unknown artist from the Enchanted Forest. Regina looked happy, as happy as Emma remembered her from their last year in the cottage. Her hair was long, braided back in a practical up-do, and her brown eyes practically shone. "Perhaps she'll have shorter hair," Emma mused, a finger trailing over Regina's face. "She always did want that."

"I hope she'll recognise me," Henry eagerly said.

"I think she'll know immediately, Kid," Emma assured him as she moved across the floor to grab the old satchel from where it was seated on top of Henry's box of belongings that still needed to get stocked in the back of their black Volkswagen Beetle. The colour had reminded Emma of Regina and Rocinante when she had first seen it; then she and Henry had bought it on the spot a few weeks after his fifth birthday.

Henry grinned and stuffed his face with a few more forkfuls of food. "Are we gonna do it now?" he asked next. He was eager, of course, just like Emma herself.

Emma drew in a careful breath as she sat the old satchel down on top of the counter. She ran her fingers over its worn leather, soft with time, and it reminded her of the man who had given it to her, offered her something to carry her mere belongings in when she had nothing else to hold onto. _Thank you, Daniel,_ she mused as she opened the clasp. Sometimes she still managed to convince herself that it smelled like forest, like _home,_ even though it was probably just her imagination.

Pushing his plate away, Henry eagerly folded his legs beneath himself on the barstool and leaned over. "So how are we going to do it?" he asked. His excitement was palpable. Emma thought it was nice, he didn't appear nervous at all, he had complete and utter faith in her and her plan, even though she wasn't even sure if she could do this.

"With these," Emma breathed as she reached into the small front pocket of the satchel. There, dried and shrunk with time, were the five berries from the lake. Emma remembered vividly what these berries were supposed to do to you, how they could help; she remembered what Mulan had told her, and how Regina had asked her not to eat them because she didn't need to. Emma knew there wasn't much magic in this land, mostly because people didn't believe as far as she remembered, but that was the difference with her – she _did_ believe. Wholeheartedly. She just needed to be showed the way.

Henry breathed out in amazement. "The berries from the lake," he said. Because of course she had told him all about that, she had told him all about everything. She had wanted him to grow up with stories of his mother and his home land, with stories about magic and true love, with stories of where he was borne from. She might not still understand it all completely, but she knew that Rumpelstiltskin had been right all these years ago, and that she was borne from there as well. She still wasn't sure how everything connected together, but she suspected that she would soon find out.

Emma offered him a dopey smile. "Sure thing, Kid," she said. And then she reached into the satchel where she had stored a map of the United Sates. She unfolded it with the help of Henry, putting plates and cups in the different corners to keep it down, and then she stared down at where she and Henry were currently located; Boston. She then stared at the berries inside of her palm; wrinkly, but probably still filled with magic, they'd have to do the job. "You ready?"

Eagerly nodding his head, Henry asked, "How do you even know she will be in the United States? In this land even? Weren't there many others to choose from?"

"There was," Emma hesitantly said. She remembered the map fondly; staring down at it as Regina taught her about different realms and different parts of the Enchanted Forest. She had been eager to learn, and even though there were plenty of other realms to choose from, Emma was certain that Regina would have chosen this one. "But I just do," she elaborated, glancing down at him. Because she had told Regina so much about the Land Without Magic, about how Emma had never been able to find happiness and safety here, so if Regina had made a Curse that Emma were to break – she was pretty sure that she would be just within reach. Regina had undoubtedly wanted to come to the Land Without Magic; to feel closer to Emma and Henry perhaps. Or to get as far away from her mother and magic as possible.

With a deep sigh, Henry said, "Makes sense." He tapped his foot against the counter, "Well. What are you waiting for then? I wanna see my mom again!"

 _And I want to see the love of my life again,_ Emma thought. But she didn't say it aloud, she fisted her hand around the berries and bumped it against Henry's. "Cheers," she joked, before she tilted her head backwards and dropped the berries into her mouth.

The taste that immediately overtook her sense was sour, like she had suspected really old berries would taste, and she chewed them slowly, eyes watering. They were not juicy or delicious, but chewy and gross, and Emma forced herself to swallow even if she mostly wanted to stick out her tongue.

"There!" Henry eagerly said, and Emma followed his line of sight.

A red moving dot was hovering just upon the map, buzzing slightly as it lingered over Boston. Emma could see that it pretty much waited right above where she and Henry had to be, and she dropped her finger to the map. "Regina," she said, and she felt the magic deep within her; a feeling she had not experienced for eight years, ever since she and toddler Henry had stepped out of a circular portal from the King's dungeons into a back-alley in Manhattan. The magic had left her as soon as the portal had closed behind her, and she had quickly realised that it would be no easy feat to access it in the Land Without Magic, that she'd have to do without it.

Henry gasped, "It's moving!" and if it wasn't so. The dot formed a path from Emma's finger, leaving in its wake a red line; it moved from Boston and up north, following the coastal line towards...

"Maine?" Emma questioned. With a furrowed brow, she leaned down closer to take a look. It passed a city named Bangor – she had never been this far up north, so she wasn't familiar with the towns there – before it hovered awkwardly, buzzing like a little bee, in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, Emma felt a jolt and she was pushed backwards, almost as if hit by electricity, and as she closed her eyes, a picture sizzled its way firmly into her mind.

An old-timed sign with cursive and bold letters greeted her _Welcome to Storybrooke_ with dark letters on a white background, and Emma gasped as she opened her eyes to find Henry peering worriedly down on her. She had not even realised she had fallen to her butt by the sheer force of it. "Storybrooke," she told him, and he reached a hand out to help her up. "She's in a town called Storybrooke." She turned to the map once more then, and saw that the path was still clearly mapped out, except where the dot had before hovered, there was now written, in red letters: **STORYBROOKE**.

Henry grinned, not able to contain his excitement. "I guess we're going to Storybrooke?"

Emma pulled him to her, hugging his small body to hers and pressing a kiss to his mop of brown hair. "I guess we are," she promised him, and suddenly, her own fingers were vibrating with excitement, because they were finally going _home._ Home to Regina, no matter if it was in the Enchanted Forest or a town called Storybrooke. "Pack the last of your things. We're dropping the keys off and then we're going," she said to him, before they both moved into action.

Zipping up his bag, Henry questioned, "So how long 'til we see her?"

"I'm guessing eight or ten hours, depending on the traffic," Emma replied as she washed off the last of the dishes before placing them away to let their subletter handle the last as per their agreement.

Henry stood there, ready quicker than he had been in his entire life, with his backpack on his shoulder and his jacket across his arm. "I can't believe we're finally going to see her," he whispered, and his voice almost cracked with emotion. "I'm finally gonna have my mom."

Emma stuffed the map into the satchel and grabbed her keys. "Yeah, Hen, you're finally gonna have her," she replied, before they rushed out of the apartment and downstairs to their car.

The drive up north was a long one, even if they didn't stop for many bathroom or food breaks. Henry was a champ in the seat next to her, although he chatted away and was getting impatient. He had been trying to read in his comic book, occasionally exclaiming whenever something awesome happened, and Emma zoned out of it as she drove, her eyes firmly trained on the road, and an impatient churning in her stomach.

Henry eventually grew tired of Captain Marvel and he closed the comic book, sighing loudly as he leaned against the door, tilting slightly in his seat as he continued to stare at her.

Emma side-eyed him. "Uuuh, yeah, Kid?"

"Tell me again what happened!" he begged, and who was Emma to say no to that?

Her fingers tensed even further around the wheel and she bit her lip as her eyes turned to the empty road ahead of them. "What exactly do you want to know?" There were so many things to tell, and she'd probably already told them all, but if Henry wanted more, he'd get more. It might be nice to pass the time like this.

"I don't remember her much," Henry murmured, chin jutting out.

A fond smile appeared on Emma's face easily. "She was amazing, Kid. The most kind and loving person I have ever met. She loved us both _so much,_ and I know she still does, even if we have been away from her for many years." She knew Regina would have never stopped loving them, because she cared furiously, with her entire being, and it was not in her nature to simply _stop._

Henry nodded, listening with rapt attention as he had always done whenever she spoke of Regina or the time in the Enchanted Forest. He'd always loved imagining how it would have been like to grow up there, and they had played pretend knights and witches in their various homes; Emma pretending to blow magic out of her hands as Henry fought her off with a wooden sword. "What was it like that day?" he softly queried next, "Leaving her?"

He had never quite phrased his question like that before, and Emma wasn't, at first, sure how to answer. She hummed, stalling for time as she rolled down the window to let in some air in the small car. "It was... it was absolutely heartbreaking," she replied in a murmur, gazing at him briefly, before her eyes turned back to the road. "The guards came, as I've told you before, because your grandma Cora, she wasn't a very nice person."

"Not to you or to Mom," Henry nodded in agreement.

"Nope," Emma said, "she wanted your mom to be Queen with no regards to what she wanted, and that's why she let the guards take us with them. She was prepared and everything," Emma explained. She had never wanted to give too many horrible details about what had ensued, because she didn't want to frighten Henry too much, but the actions that had occurred had not been nice.

Henry made a thoughtful face. "And they put the cuff on you, didn't they?"

Emma hummed in agreement. "They sure did, Kid. Which meant that I couldn't fight back at all and protect us." She remembered the horrible feeling of powerlessness and how she had tried to no avail to make magic with her hands. At first, she hadn't understood why she couldn't do her magic, but the guards had laughed of her and informed her that the cuff was supposed to stop her magic.

"And so what happened?"

"They took us to the Castle's dungeons. Cora must have enlisted the help of the King, so they put us there," she explained as she stared at the road. They were nearing a small diner now, which was a nice break from the otherwise monotone road. Perhaps they ought to take a small break to pee and stretch their legs; she knew they needed it, even though her eagerness to see Regina and break this infamous Curse pushed her to keep going.

Stretching his arms above his head, Henry looked thoughtful for a moment, before he said, "And when did you use the magic bean?"

Emma grinned. "We were tossed in there – I had to cradle you to my chest so you wouldn't be hurt – and as soon as they left, I _knew_ we had to get out of there. I'm sure they'd have hurt us if we didn't run, Kid, and I just-" she stopped talking, not sure how much she should add to this.

"They would have killed us, wouldn't they?" Henry questioned, and he looked grown and young at the same time. Innocent, but with so much knowledge of a time and place that he barely remembered.

Gulping, Emma continued, "You don't get this, Kid, but in the Enchanted Forest? Things were _different_. People hurt each other a lot, and thieves and poor people got killed. It's not like this place at all."

Henry's eyelids fluttered as he closed his eyes briefly, probably imagining – for the billionth time – how it would have been like to grow up there. "And Mom wouldn't have been able to get us out, would she?"

Emma shrugged. "Perhaps. Maybe. I dunno." Emma had thought about it before, for sure, if Regina could have fought for them. But she's pretty certain that Cora would have lied to her about where they were, perhaps even told her that they were killed. And regardless – she had known at this point that they would have to leave Regina to basically save their own existence, and even though it was still hurting her, Emma had seen this moment as a better option. She could leave Regina and make it seem like it had _not_ been her choice; they could let her go on the foreseen path and not be the bad guys for leaving without a reason. Still, she'd have to tell Regina everything now of course. They'd probably fight about it, Regina would probably be hurt, but she knew they could work through it.

She was the Saviour, meant to break the Curse and give _everybody_ their happy endings. That included Regina, and just like Tinkerbell had seen, Regina _would_ get her happiness and True Love. Emma would make sure of it, because she and Henry were Regina's happy ending.

"Ma?"

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Emma said, "No, Hen, I don't think she would've." She licked her lips, adding, "So I used the bean that Rumpelstiltskin gave me to get us out of there. That way everything could happen as it should."

Humming, Henry smiled. "I see."

Emma didn't know what more to say.

"Hey Ma?"

"Yeah, Kid?"

"Can we stop at the next diner and get some fries?" Henry asked.

Emma glanced down at him briefly, before moving to change lanes. "Sure thing, Kid."

—-

It was just around 6 PM when they drove past the _Welcome to Storybrooke_ sign. They had been cruising down an empty road with trees on both sides and no street lamps, staring straight ahead at _nothing_ while Emma had muttered and cursed beneath her breath because the map said that the town was supposed to be _right there_ , when suddenly the sign had appeared and there had been light from lamps and houses in the distance.

Clearly magic, that was for sure, and Henry who had been dozing off in the passenger's seat suddenly lived up and pressed his nose to the window as he stared out in awe.

They drove down what was clearly Main Street in the small coastal town. Emma slowed down, trying to figure out how to go about finding Regina in this place. She had no idea who all these people were and if they were magic, but she wanted to proceed with caution. The sun was slowly setting, and it was clearly dinnertime, because the streets were basically empty except for a red-headed bespectacled man who was walking his Dalmatian.

The excitement was now alive and well inside of her once more. Emma was certain that this was the right place, and that knowledge made her practically buzz. She had not been this close – physically and probably also emotionally – to Regina in over eight years, and it was messing with her head. She'd missed her _so much,_ not a day had gone by where she hadn't thought of her, longed for her. The years had been lonely, filled with mindless one night stands, where Emma had always imagined a different person in the bed next to her. She'd longed for dark eyes, and long hair, tan skin with full breasts and a gorgeous bottom. She had searched out women that looked like her, reminded her of Regina, but it had never been the same, not even close to measuring up. There had been no faint scar upon their lips, and not enough snark in their words,

Yes, Emma had been incredibly lonely sometimes, but she had never been able to move on. Not knowing that there was a magic Curse to break and that she'd eventually see Regina again someday.

Henry pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Where will we go?" he questioned. The window was fogged from his breath, and he raised his fist to wipe at it.

Emma scanned the street and saw a red, blinking sign reading _Granny's Diner,_ and she figured that they might as well. "There," she said, and then she drove up to the curb and pulled the car into park. As soon as the engine was off, Henry was out of his seatbelt and out of the car. Grabbing her keys and wallet, Emma quickly rushed after him; she locked the door and moved to place an arm around his shoulder as she steered them towards the entrance to the diner. "Ready?" she asked.

Henry nodded, and Emma saw movements behind the closed glass door; saw how the diner appeared to be full of patrons eating their dinner, and a small bell jingled as they entered the space. It was like every head turned towards them, and Emma felt her stomach churn as they approached the counter. She could not see Regina in here during her quick and not very thorough scan – and that would probably have been too easy – so she smiled at the old woman behind the counter.

 _Probably Granny,_ Emma mused. "Uhm, hello?" she asked.

"Can I help you?" the woman brusquely answered.

Henry chimed in, "We're looking for Regina!" His excitement was so evident, he was practically bubbling with it.

A woman on the barstool two stools over spluttered. "You're looking for Mayor Mills?" she asked, and she looked like that was the most crazy thing she had ever heard.

Emma regarded her; something about her round face with the pale skin and the dark hair appeared entirely familiar, but Emma wasn't sure how. "Yeah," she said, placing a hand on the counter. "Regina Mills, I guess."

The woman furrowed her brow. "She's not here. She never eats here." She dapped at her mouth with her napkin before sticking out her hand to greet them. "I'm Mary Margaret by the way."

Shaking her hand, Emma said, "I'm Emma. And this is Henry." She squeezed his shoulder.

"Hi!" he eagerly said.

"Hello," Mary Margaret smiled, fond. Her eyes shone, and they were a particular shade of green that Emma was quite familiar with by looking in the mirror. It was unnerving, but she tried to shake it off, because she did not have time for this right now. Regina awaited them. "So why are you here to see Regina? Town business?" Her eyes were quizzical, beseeching as she studied them both.

Henry smiled. "Regina is my mom-!"

Emma cut him off with a hand on his mouth as she grinned. "Mom's friend," she said, eyeing Henry, whose eyed had widened in his excitement, "Regina is my old friend from uh, back in the day."

Mary Margaret nodded. "I didn't realise she had any friends from outside of town." She paused, brow furrowed. "Or many friends at all really."

"What are we talking about?" a woman questioned as she hopped onto the barstool next to Mary Margaret. She was dressed in a blue police uniform, and there was a shining badge on her hip. "Hi Mary Margaret," she added, and Emma practically felt her jaw drop as she stared at her. The familiar hair, the certain voice. It was- it was- it was _Mulan._ "Granny, can I get a coffee to go?"

Granny smiled warmly at her. "Of course Sheriff Smith, it's coming right up!"

"Mulan?" Emma breathed as she leaned slightly over, eyeing her old friend. She was _sure_ it was her; she was older, of course, but it was unmistakingly her. It was in the way she carried herself, her back straight, and definitely the quiet timbre of her voice.

Mulan turned around on her chair, her brow furrowed up in annoyance. " _What_ did you just call me?" she questioned, just as Granny placed a coffee to go on the counter in front of her.

Emma immediately sensed that something was amiss, that this was definitely not the same Mulan she had said goodbye to back at the estate in the Enchanted Forest. There was no recognition in her eyes, although Emma recognised her completely. She withdrew however, not wanting to cause drama when she was not certain of how things worked here. "Sorry," she replied, pulling back slightly and squeezing Henry's shoulders. "I thought you were another old friend of mine."

Mulan eyed her, still not entirely convinced. "Another old friend?"

"Emma and Henry are here to visit Mayor Mills," Mary Margaret quickly explained, and just as if that was the magic word, Mulan's entire demeanour changed and she softened up completely.

"You're here to see Regina?" she wondered aloud as she spun around on the barstool and stared warmly down at Henry. "She didn't mention that she was getting any visitors." She sipped her coffee, and Emma thought that the police uniform really suited her. However this Cursed had worked its magic, Emma definitely thought that it had done right by Mulan.

"She's my ma's old friend!" Henry excitedly chimed in.

Mulan's eyes then turned to Emma, and she regarded her the same way she used to when Emma was younger; the way that made it seem like Mulan could see right through her. "Really?"

Emma forced out a tense smile. "Yes. We just weren't sure which direction to go."

Taking another sip of her coffee, Mulan took her sweet time answering as she swallowed. "Go straight ahead past the clock tower. Take a right down Mifflin. It's number 108, and you won't miss it." She then hopped off the barstool and scurried towards the entrance.

"Say hello to your wife from me!" Mary Margaret called after her, and Mulan waved at her as the door smacked closed behind her.

Emma nudged Henry then. "Let's go, Kid," she told him, before she glanced back at Mary Margaret with a curt smile. "Thanks. I'll see you around," she mumbled, because she was quite certain that she would, and Mary Margaret smiled eagerly, as Emma steered herself and Henry towards the door as well, following right in Mulan's footsteps.

They made their way to the car silently, Emma quickly unlocking the doors and slipping in behind the wheel. Her heart beat wildly, untamed, because that had been Mulan. _Mulan._ Regina was definitely getting closer.

"Was that really Mulan?" Henry breathlessly asked as he buckled up in the seat next to her.

"Sure was," Emma confirmed as she turned on the engine and set off towards the clock tower in the distance.

Humming, Henry questioned, "Why do you think she didn't recognise you?"

The entire confrontation had been tense and weird on Emma, but she was pretty sure that Mulan just didn't remember her, just didn't remember _herself._ "It's probably the Curse," she told Henry, because that was the only thing that made sense. If all went well, if Emma broke the Curse and really was the Saviour that Rumpelstiltskin had told her she was, then Mulan would remember it all soon enough. Emma still wasn't sure exactly how she was supposed to break said Curse, but she figured that she'd have to improvise as she went along. As soon as they found Regina, Emma was certain that the rest would work itself out.

They drove past the clock tower that appeared to show the wrong time, and as they turned right down Mifflin, Emma felt her heart all the way up in her throat; the quick beats, the feeling of almost choking as she couldn't breathe properly. She was pretty sure that she was breaking a sweat.

"Is it that white house?" Henry eagerly questioned as he pressed a finger to the window to point out the biggest house on the entire street; it was white and majestic, the complete opposite of what they had lived in together in the Enchanted Forest. It was odd, but it was definitely number 108 Mifflin.

For the first time ever, Emma started to worry about who she might run into on the other side of the door. Sure, it would be Regina, but would it be _her_ Regina? So many years had passed for her, probably around forty, at least according to Rumpelstiltskin, and that was a very long time to stay the same. Emma had no doubts that she would love Regina regardless of what had happened and what she might have done, but suddenly the entire thing appeared so scary.

Henry was dashing up the path to the front door, and suddenly Emma couldn't breathe at all. What if Regina was also affected by the Curse – just like Mulan – and she wouldn't recognise them _either_?

"Henry!" she firmly called, and her stomach was twisting itself into knots.

Henry stumbled to a halt on the porch as he turned around to look at her; eager and almost there, this close to seeing his mom for the first time in eight years. "Ma?" he asked. He looked almost disappointed, worried about what might interfere with his plans.

Emma clutched at her chest, feeling too hot in her leather jacket. "Henry, just- give me- I need a-" She wasn't sure what she was saying, and before she could manage to even figure it out, the door behind Henry was forcefully pulled open.

And there was Regina; older, yes, more intimidating than Emma had ever seen her, with shorter hair and a tight mayoral dress, but definitely Regina.

And Regina was mad. "And what _exactly_ do you think you're doing here!? It is private property, and I _will_ call the police. I'll have you know, Sheriff Smith is a very close _personal_ friend of mine, and – _Emma_?"

She halted in her high heels, stopping on the path as she had brushed by Henry in her fury to get to Emma. But her eyes showed a mix of recognition and disbelief as she took in Emma's form. Her eyes widened, her jaw tensed, frozen.

"Hi," Emma softly replied and offered an awkward wave.

Regina was quiet for a moment more. "Emma," she eventually breathed, and her entire face shifted from one of anger to one of pure shock. "Emma, I can't- are you really here?"

Emma tentatively stepped closer. "I'm here," she gently offered, and she was surprised to learn that there were tears trailing down her cheeks as she watched Regina; Regina who was in front of her for the first time in _years_. "I've, we've – we've _found you_."

Regina whipped around at that, her dark eyes zoning in on Henry who grinned awkwardly at them from the steps to the porch. "Henry," she whispered, and she visibly drew in a shaky breath, "Henry, is that you?"

"Mom!" Henry cried, and then he was off the porch as he flung himself into Regina's arms with a soft cry.

Taken aback, Regina hugged him tight. She embraced him with all of her worth, burying her face in his hair. Emma could hear Henry cry softly, and she stepped closer herself, not wanting to miss a second of this important moment.

"I've missed you, I've missed you, I've missed you," Henry repeatedly said, his voice muffled by Regina's tight embrace.

Regina softly whispered, "And I've missed you, my little prince."

It felt like Emma's broken heart was finally beginning to mend itself as she watched the sweet embrace, something she had imagined inside of her head many, many times. Regina was looking at Henry so tenderly, with such pure love, and she brushed back his hair, ran her hands over his entire form as if to check him for injuries. There were tears glistening in her eyes, and Henry was purely crying.

"Mom, I can't believe we're finally here. We've been waiting _forever_ ," Henry whispered as he ran a hand over his face to wipe his cheeks.

Regina chuckled. "Eight or nine years by the looks of it," she replied. "Look how much you've grown."

Henry puffed out his chest. "I'm ten!" he proudly said.

"I've missed _so much_ ," Regina breathlessly whispered, and she pulled him to her side, holding him tight. She looked at Emma then, a nervous smile flickering across her lips. "And you, you're… you're not wearing glasses."

Emma awkwardly grinned as she stuck her hands into her back pockets. "And you cut your hair," she just replied, because she wasn't sure what else to do or say. She longed to touch Regina once more, to breathe in her scent and hug her close, but something was holding her back – she wasn't sure quite what to do.

Regina gingerly touched her shorter locks. "Yes, I… I always wanted to."

A small silence emerged between the three of them, and Emma scuffed her boot against the ground. Awkward, that's what it was.

Henry, thankfully, knew just what to say. "Can we go inside?"

Regina lead them inside, up the small path and through the fancy front door. When they came inside, Regina showed them to a formal sitting room and asked if they wanted something to drink.

"I need the bathroom," Henry said instead.

"Just down the hall and to your left," Regina replied. She was rigid, her motions almost stiff, and Henry beamed at her, before he was off, rushing down the hallway in this unfamiliar house. She turned to look at Emma then, her cheeks pale and her hands trembling. "How… are you here?" she breathlessly asked, and for a moment, Emma didn't see an intimidating grown up woman, but she saw her 16-year-old girlfriend. "I thought you _died_."

Emma's shoulders sagged. "I know. I'm sorry," she quickly replied. "It's a long story and I'll tell you it all. But the guards didn't execute us, we escaped to another realm instead."

Regina's lips trembled. "You _left_ me?"

"Long story," Emma softly repeated, and she did not like the way everything felt so awkward between them, the way Regina somehow put a distance between them.

Turning her eyes downward, Regina started fussing with a throw pillow, and Emma let her – for a moment – before she stepped closer, limiting the short distance between them. "Regina," she murmured, and her voice cracked. She reached out, her hand enveloping Regina's to get her to stop fussing, and as their fingers touched, Regina gasped and dropped the pillow to the ground. A spark appeared, and Emma withdrew her hand.

Regina turned her head, and suddenly they were nose to nose. "I can't believe you're here. Am I dreaming?"

"No," Emma whispered, and she cupped Regina's cheek.

Tilting her head, Regina met her touch with closed eyes and a trembling mouth. "I've missed you for forty years," she cried, and she sounded so, so small.

Emma drew in a shaky breath. "And I've missed you for ten," she murmured, and Regina's eyes snapped open. "It doesn't make sense right now, but I promise it will. The important thing is that we're _here._ We _love_ you, and we're finally here."

Quivering, Regina said, "And I love you," before she lunged forward and pressed her lips to Emma's in a desperate kiss. As soon as their lips touched, Emma was jolted awake; not only by the spark it created, but also by her own body as it responded to Regina's kiss. Their lips moved against each other, their hands lingering on bodies, and Emma moaned against Regina's mouth as she held her close.

It had been _so_ long, and her body ached.

"Baby," Emma whispered, and as they pulled back, their foreheads resting against each other, their chests heaving.

Regina was outright crying as she ran her hands over Emma's hair. "I love you still," she murmured.

"And I love you still," Emma gently whispered back.

"Moms!"

They were pulled out of their tight embrace by Henry, who was back from the bathroom. He had a shit-eating grin on his face as he stood there, happier than Emma had ever seen him. He'd definitely caught the tail-end of their sweet embrace, and he appeared quite pleased with it.

"Yeah, Kid?" Emma questioned. She did not dare pull away from Regina quite yet.

Henry continued, "Did you feel that? The entire earth shook and there was a blast!" He was eager, his eyes round. "I think it was magic!"

Regina pulled back at last. "Magic?"

"It was the Curse," Henry continued, eagerly joining them, tugging at their hands, "I – I think you broke it."

Emma gasped as Regina's fingers tightened around hers. "You think?"

Regina eyed her, mouth agape. "You… you're the Saviour meant to break my Curse?" She did not let go of Emma's hand, but it was sweaty inside hers. "You're… but _of course_ you are." She softened at that, as realisation dawned on her, and now it was her turn to cup Emma's cheek. "You've always been so good."

Their eyes locked, and Emma softened even more. There were many things to talk about, many years to catch up on, but she was sure that it was going to be alright. No matter what, they were going to be fine, because they finally had each other again, and nothing could change that. Tinkerbell had said many years ago that Regina would find her True Love once more – after further trial and tribulation – and finally she had. There was not a doubt in Emma's mind; they had just broken the Curse with True Love's kiss because that was what they were.

True Loves.

"So have you, my darling," Emma whispered and pressed a kiss to her temple, "you've just never had the chance to truly show it."

Regina swallowed loudly and glanced towards the closed door. "They're going to come for me now, you know." She tightened her hold on Emma at that, folding into her side.

"We'll keep you safe!" Henry quickly volunteered, as if that was the easiest thing the world. And to him, it probably was.

And really, Emma thought so, too. After everything they had been through, the next part was going to be quite alright. She was sure of it, because they had each other – finally – and the rest was going to work itself out. "Yeah, we will," Emma promised her with a tentative smile.

She was finally back in Regina's arms, and nothing would be able to tear them apart once more.

Her safest place.

Together, the family of three walked towards the front door, ready to face the rest.

* * *

A/N: I was so concerned about which note to leave this on and where to end it, but I hope this made sense. I just wanted to leave it open; they finally have each other once more and the future is going to be alright. Dealing with the after march of the Curse was not really a priority as you can all imagine what happens next; they deal with Snow, Mulan and the other townsfolk, and they have their happily ever after.

If all goes well, there will be a supernova fic from me in the fall, but other than that, I'm not sure if I will post any more fics. So I just wanted to thank everyone who has read and followed my work. Thank you. /Stessa.


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